Poké Wars Ransei Chronicles: What I've Done
by Titanic X
Summary: The Undampening has brought about the Apocalypse for many regions. Some have fallen to the Pokémon, others are barely hanging on, and only a few still remain in human hands. Yet one region has defied the odds, and defying Fate, became a safe haven for Allied Pokémon and humans alike. This is the tale of how they stood their ground against all odds. This... is the Ransei Chronicles.
1. Doomsday

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokemon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokemon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokemon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

_**The Ransei Chronicles**_

_**Book One: What I've Done**_

* * *

Prologue

**Doomsday**

Sounds of metal being hammered and drilling filled the vast space as the engineers worked to get it operational. It was almost time for the annual test run, and they wanted to be sure it was at optimal operating performance. The technician in charge of the device, a man named Hank Murdoch, looked back and wiped at his forehead with a hand, clearing the sweat from his brow. He let out a sigh and slumped back against a cooling tube, his skinny frame seeming to deflate from the easing of the tension within him.

Hank Murdoch was in his early forties and he had very pale skin, a sign of not having gone outside in months, or even years. His blonde hair was very messy and tied back into a short ponytail to keep it from getting caught in the wiring or even the hydraulics for raising the device once activated. His blue eyes were sharp and alert, a sign of a man who knew what he was working on and with. He wore a simple white lab coat over a T-shirt and some greasy blue jeans with steel-toed work boots.

Originally one of the many Pokémon researchers within the kingdom of Aurora, he had been contracted by the previous warlord to do some research on a sonic based-defense system due to the relations with the neighboring kingdoms falling into possible war. Many researchers had considered his ideas to be fantasy and science fiction, but after several years the committee he had appointed to the task, which included Murdoch, had found some potential results and research material. And not just for a sonic weapon, either.

But the sonic device had proven to be the most feasible thus far, and Murdoch had been the one to construct a fully working prototype for testing purposes. The testing worked beautifully and the warlord commissioned the construction of the sonic pulse weapon, initially developed for use against Flying types, which Aurora lacked any effective defenses against, save for their modern anti-aircraft (AA) weapons. While effective, they required aiming and Flying types were known to sometimes dodge entire salvos fired from surrounding communities.

The device itself was built like a satellite dish, but it was much more than that.

The structure on which the device was mounted consisted of a lattice framework perched on a platform that could be raised via powerful hydraulics out through the roof of the palace itself. The sonic pulse weapon was still a prototype though, and as recent testing had shown, it tended to scramble the radio communications within the kingdom, save for the landlines that spread all over the place underground, although periodically ground types would chew on them and leave some gaps in the landline network. Satellite was another method unaffected by the sonic weapon. Due to that advantage, all citizens of Aurora were ordered to have a satellite linkup on all mobile devices they had, although it was possible to have the linkup get jammed by enough smoke and debris, as some battles between Warriors had shown.

The sonic pulse weapon was a recent development in military technology, designed for nonlethal disruption of flying Pokémon's equilibrium, meant to render them confused and unable to really cause much damage. While it had been effective in tests and simulations, this was the first time it had ever been used in a combat scenario in real life in war against other Pokémon.

It was developed fifteen years ago when the relations between Ransei's major kingdoms began to deteriorate, leading to fears of a possible war between them. The only thing holding them back was the vast distances between them, but a disadvantage was the high-flying Pokémon such as Fearow and Pidgeot. While some kingdoms did possess a formidable air force, they relied more on their Flying type Pokemon for their aerial combat capabilities. Such an attack would have left Aurora vulnerable from the mountains, so each kingdom took to developing their own means of forcing the attack to be called off. Ignis' methods relied heavily on their hot springs and geothermal power plants (thick steam smokescreens generated by the plants via a special system that allowed the reactors to overheat while being cooled using recycled water).

The sonic pulse weapon was the result of this possible inter-kingdom Cold War. Using finely tuned sensors, scientists and engineers were able to detect and analyze the broad range of waves emitted by Zubat's Supersonic attack and pick apart the frequencies. Studies were then done over the next ten years to find and perfect the emitter needed to transmit the frequency over the whole kingdom, and then some. The research bore fruit and over the previous five years the device was constructed and tested a few times before putting it into standby in case war ever broke out between the major kingdoms. The only downside to the device was that it needed time to recharge, as was shown in the tests over the years.

Sam Jackson, another worker on the same shift as Hank, walked over and sat down beside him.

"Whew! That's that!" he remarked.

"Yeah. The warlord says that he'll begin the test run later today, so we'll be ready for it," Murdoch replied.

Sam chuckled a bit as he wiped his forehead with a rag. "Just think. Soon, if this thing proves itself the next time that Fearow flock attacks, we'll be ready."

Murdoch winced at that. "Don't remind me! It's been what fifty years since that last attack?"

Sam nodded, having been around for sixty-five years, and working on the device for twenty.

"Yeah. That last attack really decimated our fields and left several hundred homes damaged. Thankfully no one else got hurt," he said.

Murdoch looked back at the device, a frown on his face. "The only question now is will it be of any use in the coming years? Why did we even build it? Was it solely for defense against the raiding Fearow, or was there another purpose?"

Sam shrugged as he grabbed his water bottle and took a swig; the room they were in was about eighty degrees due to the equipment humming all around them. Even with the cooling tubes around and nestled against the computer, the device's numerous monitors and the computers needed to run it generated enough heat to keep the room at eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

The engineer looked back at the device before he heard the door slide open and both men leapt to their feet. They turned as the warlord stepped into the room, his short hair blowing in the cool air as he passed underneath the closest cooling tube. He walked over to them and they saluted.

"Sir!" they said.

The warlord of Aurora, Greg Hansen, looked back at the device, a look of grim determination crossing his face. "Is it ready?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Murdoch replied. "Why?"

"Something's about to happen. I don't know why, but lately some trainers from other regions have been getting frantic calls from home about something big," Warlord Hansen said.

Both men looked at one another in worry. This was new.

"And on top of that, most communications are down all across several other regions," the warlord explained. "So we need to be prepared in case whatever's happening outside happens here in Ransei, as well."

"Good luck with that!" Sam snorted, rubbing his brown hair with one of his large hands. At six foot one, Sam was a big man and he worked out a lot, something that was needed to maintain his strength for hauling around parts for the sonic weapon. He looked back at the computers and frowned as he spotted one of the techies trying to input the codes for raising the hydraulics.

"All right, Jeb. Whatcha doing?" he asked.

"Trying to test the hydraulics," the nervous techie said as he pushed his clipboard tightly to his chest. He looked around nervously, a habit he tended to fall back on when he was around the Warlord. Working for such a man made him a bit edgy and he sometimes even had a bit of a tic when he spoke: he stuttered. "A-And m-make sure th-they're g-good to g-g-go."

Sam rolled his eyes and smacked the younger tech with his hand.

Murdoch simply snorted. "So, that aside, what kind of stuff could -"

He was cut off just as the alarms began to wail outside the palace.

"Oh, shit...!" he muttered.

The warlord turned to face one of the soldiers of the Aurora Defense Forces running into the room, her face streaked with sweat. "Sir, it's all over the news! Pokémon are going berserk all over Ransei!"

"That does it! I want all forces to mobilize for the coming slaughter! I don't want any civilians to die on my watch!" he snarled.

The soldier nodded. "Shall I relay the orders?"

"No time! I'm going out!" Warlord Hansen barked as he ran for the door. "C'mon!" He turned and spun to look over his shoulder at the two men and the rest of the maintenance team. "You guys get this thing ready for deployment! If it doesn't work, then let me know and I'll do it myself!"

"Sir!" they said.

* * *

The clear sky was sunny as the cries of several Pokémon echoed over the small town, waking the young man as he slept under a tree. He groaned and shifted, opening his eyes and brushing away a small leaf that landed on his forehead. He reached out and groped for the phone beside him as it rang repeatedly, the sound resembling the call of a Pidgeot. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, clearing the last vestiges of sleep as he yawned and turned on the phone.

"Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

"_Spray! It's been an hour! Where are you?_" a familiar voice called over the device.

He winced at her voice. "Sorry!" he blurted.

The pilot rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "So, what's the deal?" he asked.

"_We're waiting at the airport! Weren't we gonna go flying today?_" the voice asked.

The young man grimaced as he remembered her words. "Geez, Wingma! I completely forgot!"

Willma "Wingma" Nelson sighed, and he swore he heard her pinching the bridge of her nose on the other end. "_It's okay. Just get over here as soon as possible. And try to finish your chores early._"

"Okay. I will. See ya when I get there!" the pilot replied.

He hung up the phone and dropped it into his pocket as he turned to his dad who was busy pumping up a deflated tire on his truck. "Dad, how much more do I have to do?" he asked.

The man, Alan Krane, looked back at his son, Steven "Spray" Krane, and stood up, cricking his back. "Damn that hurt!" he muttered. He finally straightened up and looked at him. "Well, let's see..." He shot a glance around the yard and looked it over with a critical eye. "Hmm..."

Steven waited for the news.

"Well, there's still the flower beds that have to be mulched," he said.

"I did that a few hours ago," Steven said seriously.

"You fertilize the fields out back?" Alan asked.

"I'll do that when I go flying with the gang," Steven replied, holding up the keys on the keychain around his neck.

Alan frowned, but then relented and sighed. "All right. But be sure to remember doing it. Otherwise it'll all be for nothing. And on your way out, could you swing by the capital? I left something in the office there."

Steven pursed his lips, knowing that the capital city of the kingdom was a bit out of the way, but he could make it work. He nodded. "All right. I'll do that."

"Oh, and Steven?" his mother, Bertha Krane, called out from the upstairs window. "Be sure to hit the fields this time and not our neighbor's house!"

"Hey! Ol' Larry's a downright ass!" Steven shot back. "You know how he goes on about those crops of his! Especially that stupid watermelon plot!"

Bertha was about to scold her son for his language when she remembered he was a young man of twenty one years of age, and she shook her head, closing the window as she resumed her cleaning.

Steven turned and ran for his bike, hopping on and starting the engine. He shifted the bike into gear and pulled out of the driveway, gunning the engine as he did so. He slipped his helmet on as he drove, unaware of just what was awaiting him as the world continued on its path.

* * *

The roads to the capital were busy, with cars practically on every part of the streets. He groaned a bit as he finally came to a stop at a stoplight. He sighed, looking ahead at the long line of cars ahead of him. "Shit... Now what?"

He looked around, and spotting a side street, grinned and gunned his bike's engine, peeling out of the line of traffic and right towards the road, startling the man working on repairing the gate. "Hey! Watch it!" he shouted.

"Sorry!" Steven called back as he waved a hand.

The man grumbled before he returned to his task and Steven pushed his bike to the limit, a laugh escaping his throat as he revved the engine and up a small hill, getting airborne for a few seconds before doing a wheelie as soon as his bike landed back on the ground. The front end landed back on the ground seconds later and the tires screeched as he tore off down the road towards the bustling capital city looming just ahead in the distance.

The pilot crouched down low over his bike, the windshield keeping the wind from buffeting his body.

He grinned as he felt the sheer power flooding the small motorcycle, a birthday present from his parents when he first turned eighteen a few years ago. The bike was sleek and powerful, possessing a white body with a blue upper half and green stripes on the side, the same paint job that was on his plane. After he got the bike, he worked on modifying it a bit, downloading a map of Aurora from the satellites and installing it on the new computer. The windshield was modified to allow it to project the layout of the kingdom's streets and possible detours in front of his eyes while still allowing him to see the street before him. But he had no idea just how important it would become in the coming year and a half.

Steven gunned the engine a bit more as he peeled around a bend in the road, approaching the suburbs of the capital city. The sun beat down on his skin and he felt sweat forming on his arms, but be brushed it aside as he sped into the maze of buildings coming up.

The capital city of Auroros was the place where Alan worked as a defense contractor for the Aurora Defense Forces. Steven had been to his office before as part of a birthday surprise, so he knew his way to the room where his dad worked.

He spotted the building and made his way over to the parking lot off to the side and parked the bike.

"Good thing I've been here before," he said.

He was about to enter the complex and get what his dad had left behind when everything suddenly went to Hell.

* * *

Kyou Kagita grumbled as he made his way down the streets of Auroros, kicking a soup can discarded by a passing tourist. He still couldn't believe that his folks had sent him all the way here to get some parts for the van. It didn't make much sense, really. He knew that the parts dealer in his hometown had the stuff, so why did he have to come here?

Blaze was beside him as he made his way to the auto store.

His partner tilted his head a bit, and Kyou felt a small pulse of confusion over the Link.

"I know, Blaze. I'm just as curious as you are. The guy back home had the stuff, so why did they send us here?" he asked.

The parts store was wide open and he could make out a few other people and one or two other Warriors with them. The man in charge of the place was balding and looked as if he had been once a boxer before he retired and started up his parts business. He looked over and spotted Kyou, a smile crossing his face. "Hey, there kid! What can I do for ya?" he asked.

Kyou reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper with the name of the brand of tire written down on it. "Hey. I'm told you have some parts in stock?"

The man grinned broadly. "Sure do, kid. Everything from engines to tires! What can I get ya?"

"Do you carry AuroraBolt tires?" Kyou asked, holding it out.

The parts dealer grabbed the paper and scanned it over before whistling. "Hoo boy. You're looking at full on heavy duty AuroraBolts there. Those are almost impossible to come by."

"Hold on. Heavy duty? I thought they were standard," Kyou remarked, his eyes now filled with confusion.

"That's what the paper says," the man said, shaking it in front of Kyou's face. He backed up, getting a whiff of the man's breath.

"Okay. We'll wait outside." Kyou nodded to Blaze and the two headed out to wait.

Once outside, Kyou reflected back on his parents' request. He frowned a bit before he grabbed the phone in his pocket and pulled it out, dialing his home number.

His mom picked it up.

"_Hey, Kyou! Did you get the tires yet?_" his mom, Serena Kagita, asked.

"Not yet. I'm at the Auroros Parts Shop right now. But I'm confused as to why you need heavy-duty AuroraBolt tires. It's not like the world's gonna end, is it?" he asked, leaning back against the cool brick surface.

"_Well, Kyou, you know that something strange has been happening outside of Ransei, right? This is just a precaution in case whatever is going on hits home here. You can never be too prepared!_" Mrs. Kagita replied.

"_Just drop it, hon. He needs to know, so tell him,_" Matsumi Kagita said from the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Dad," Kyou said with a grin. "You busy as usual?"

"_Tell me about it,_" Mr. Kagita said with a grunt. "_Every day I'm working on software issues, but this really takes the cake! I don't even understand some of it myself, and I wrote the damn program!_"

The young man laughed. "Sure. Anyway, what's with the tires? Why heavy-duty?"

"_We may go to war._"

The sentence made Kyou stop and stare as a police cruiser sped on by, siren wailing. "What? War? But... with who? Ignis? Fontaine? Greenleaf? Who?"

"_That's just it. We don't know. But based on recent events being broadcast from outside the kingdom and region, I'd have to say against -_" His voice was suddenly cut off as the air raid sirens suddenly began to wail, and everything went to Hell.

* * *

The last thing anyone expected was for the devastation to come when they least expected it. As soon as the word went out of the incoming hordes of wild Pokemon, the people retreated back to the safety of their kingdoms, hoping that the walls and defenses would keep them out.

Wild Pokemon thrashed and cried out, their attacks firing in all directions and inflicting casualties on both human and Pokemon alike, forever ending many lives in both adulthood and childhood. Blood ran in rivers through the kingdom streets and down the cobblestone paths, dribbling into the rivers, making them turn red with crimson death. Kids, adults, and teens alike writhed in the flames that now danced across the numerous lands within Ransei, even their Pokemon suffering from it. Those who had Links with their partners were not immune, although some managed to rein in their partners before they lost themselves to the orders that lingered in their subconscious.

Most kingdoms were reduced to rubble within a few hours of the event, caused by damaging attacks like Hyper Beam, Earthquake, and Thunder. Other attacks sliced buildings clean in half, some coming down like dominoes. Fires ran rampant in a few areas of other kingdoms, leading to blazing infernos that went unchecked as fire services were overwhelmed and in some cases, wiped out. The armies and navies were mobilized to try and quell possible rioting, but soon mass desertions led to more riots and bandits took the chance to attack the warlords, some even killing them and becoming warlords of the kingdoms which they conquered.

People were forced to take up arms to defend themselves.

Armories were raided and more people started rioting. Within several hours, half of Ransei was burning under the assaults. Not every kingdom escaped unscathed. Even the southern region suffered. But one small kingdom held in its hands the future of not just Ransei, but the world as a whole.

This small kingdom was called Aurora.

And it was here that a young man was about to embark on a journey that would lead to a revolution in Ransei and the creation of a safe haven against the forces of Ho-oh himself.

The young man groaned as he looked back, the walls groaning and trembling under the constant assaults. Every so often some of the tough concrete shed as minor dust particles, a testament to how savage the blows were. A few cracks had started to form in the middle of the walls, but so far they were holding fast against the attacks.

His eyes were filled with fear as they gave a particularly hard shudder, and some loose rocks cascaded down their facades. Smoke was curling up from outside the well protected kingdom, and his body shuddered as he wondered just _how_ bad the outside was.

He wondered just what was going on. In all his life, he had never once considered just how dangerous Pokemon really were, having always seen people getting hurt, but never really bad like now. His entire life had transformed in a single instant, and he wondered just how this had all happened. He briefly recalled legends of some sort, but they were fuzzy inside his mind.

A loud screeching caught his attention and he turned, his eyes widening as he felt his heartrate increase. As the walls made another ominous shudder, small bits of dust and debris began to fall faster. His eyes widened a bit more and he backed up from the trembling structure.

He looked left and right, his fears only becoming multiplied when he heard the screeching of the aerial threat overhead, dive-bombing the helpless civilians. At once the warlord emerged from the castle, his hair wildly flying behind him as he threw his coat over his shoulders and ran down to the street level. His eyes were hard as he whirled around, grabbing the shotgun strapped around his shoulder and firing the gun, hitting one of the Flying types now attacking.

"Dammit! I want to get all anti-aircraft defenses up and running now!" he barked to one of his aides, a woman in her late twenties.

"Sir, we can't! There are just too many Pokemon!" she protested.

"I don't care! Do whatever it takes to get them up and running! NOW!" he ordered.

She nodded and turned, running past him as she looked in his direction.

The warlord spat out a swear as he ducked under a Fearow and threw up a hand, grabbing it by the neck and swiping with the bayonet mounted under his gun, cutting its head clean off and swinging the butt to connect solidly with another as it dove down. "Take this!" he shouted.

The young man was terrified as he backed away from the scene, turning and running for the street where his bike was parked. He threw one leg over the seat and jabbed the key into the ignition, starting it in seconds. The throaty roar of the motor was drowned out by the attacking Pokemon and he didn't want to stick around to become a meal for them. He opened up the throttle and sped away, kicking up the kickstand and hunching over. He didn't have time to put his helmet on, so it was a risk he was willing to take.

A loud chattering suddenly cut through the air and he shot a brief glance up at the wall he was driving by, and his eyes widened in immense relief as he saw the anti-aircraft guns opening up on the hordes of wild Pokemon as they dove and swooped, seeking out a new meal. Already large numbers were falling, but there were just too many. The general in charge of the air force barked out another order and at airfields across the kingdom planes started their engines, taking flight.

The dogfights that ensued were vicious, with no quarter being lost on either side. The planes had speed and firepower, but the Fearow had the numbers. They attacked en masse, forcing the planes to withhold their fire for fear of attacking the civilians below now struggling to defend themselves against the ensuing massacre. The young man felt his heart leap into his throat as one of them suddenly dove for him, but he reacted swiftly and jerked the controls of his bike to the left, speeding down a nearby alleyway and through a pack of Evee struggling to get past the large mounds of trash. He didn't care what was happening; just that he had to get to his family and friends.

A Gust attack suddenly blew through the alley, throwing him off his bike and slamming him into one of the dumpsters. He groaned as he felt his chest. He was sure he had a few broken ribs, judging from the tenderness. He looked up as a Fearow seemed to sneer as it came in for the feast.

The young man shivered and shuddered, groping for any kind of weapon to use. Anything at all. But nothing reached his hand and he gulped. His life began to flash before his eyes, only for a blast of searing heat to soar past his face and he grimaced as sweat broke out on his flesh. A loud screeching from the Fearow indicated it had been hit. He slowly removed his hands from in front of his eyes and he felt his lunch surge up through his throat.

The Pokemon was charred right in the chest and already half the skin was burned off, some of it showing the white ribs as it fell to the ground, dead from the shock. He turned, seeking out his savior and his eyes landed on the form standing on the top of the building closest to him. "Hey, you okay?" his savior called.

The young man nodded, still shaking with fright.

A second form landed and grabbed the first, leaping off the building and landing on the ground, now slightly smoldering from the heat. He looked down at his shoes. "Well, there goes that pair..." he muttered.

"Uh… who are you?" the young man asked in a shaky voice.

"The name's Kyou Kagita," the boy said, running his hand through his hair. "And this is my partner, Blaze."

The young man studied his savior intently.

He could see he was slightly wiry with muscle on him, and messy black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, contrasted by blue eyes that stood out against his light brown skin. A grey baseball cap adorned his head and a pair of old aviator goggles rested on his forehead. He wore a white jacket with a red T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. Beside him stood a Blaziken, tall and proud.

The young man nodded. "Thank you…" he rasped.

Kyou looked at him as well, taking in his short, messy black hair and brown eyes. Like all natives of southern Ransei, he had dark tan skin. On his head he wore an aviator visor and he wore a T-shirt that was blue on the top and white on the bottom with green stripes on the sleeves. He wore dark grey cargo shorts and brown combat boots with black fingerless gloves. Around his neck he wore a keychain ring with a set of keys attached to it.

"What's your name, kid?" Kyou asked.

"My name's Steven Krane…" the young man rasped as he shivered a bit.

Kyou pursed his lips, but said nothing. Suddenly he tensed and whirled around, barking out an order to Blaze as he did so. "Blaze, Fire Punch!" he ordered.

The Pokemon nodded and leapt up, his fist shining with fire blazing around it, punching a Fearow that dove from the air.

"C'mon!" Kyou ordered. "Get that bike up and get outta here!"

Steven didn't even hesitate as he scurried back to his dented bike and lifted it up, slipping over the seat and starting the ignition again. He looked back just as Kyou ran over and slung a leg over the seat as well while motioning for him to go. He didn't even hesitate as he revved the engine and sped off as fire started burning in the dumpsters full of trash.

"How fast you planning on going, kid?" Kyou shouted over the roar of the engine.

Steven didn't answer. All he did was gun the engine to full and the bike leapt forward, nearly dislodging the other man. Kyou yelped and threw his arms around the young man as he hunched down, his body becoming shielded by the windshield. His eyes narrowed as he stared through the tinted glass, which showed a Heads-Up-Display in front of his vision.

He gritted his teeth as he studied the readouts, from his bike's speed to the engine temp and the fuel gauge, and the bike's structural integrity.

His eyes hardened as he looked at the battle raging around him. "What'll we do?" he asked Kyou.

"Find someplace to hide for now!" he ordered.

"Why?" Steven asked.

"Just do it!"

He didn't even need to be told twice as he swerved the bike into a small alleyway that took them right to a smaller building that looked like a warehouse. He slid it inside and the door was closed as the workers barricaded the door.

How long they would be there for remained unknown.

* * *

Outside, the fighting continued on. By now the entire Aurora Air Force had been mobilized, and they were managing to get quite the kill count. Already large numbers of Fearow were falling to their guns, but more were still coming. The Aurora Defense Forces also finished mobilizing, sending their tanks out to drive back the wild Pokemon that managed to clamber over the walls and breaching underground. Buildings were beginning to crack and crumble under constant Earthquakes, and the walls, so formidable against certain types of Pokemon attacks, were starting to crumble as well. This was bad news for the Kingdom of Aurora.

But there was one edge they had that was sure to turn the tide of war: a type of pulse weapon that would drive them back. Or at least force them to leave to keep their hearing safe.

The warlord by now was trying to run to the kingdom's castle where the sonic pulse weapon was stored. His heart was pounding as he ran for the doors, leaping over fallen trees and darting around scattered remains of cars, buildings, and occasionally, the human or Pokemon body. Some were still alive as he bolted past, his teeth gritted as he finally ran up the stairs to the massive steel doors, already starting to close.

"Hurry, sir!" one of the guards standing in the middle of the doors shouted.

He increased his speed, running for the doors as fast as he could. He grasped his shotgun and lunged, turning his body and firing at a nearby Arcanine, killing it as he landed on the floor and slid inside, right underneath the doors. He discarded the empty gun and got to his feet, running through the palace until he reached the main command center. The guards were already opening the doors as he grasped the code and pulled the flash drive off its strap.

"Okay! Here we go!" he shouted, jabbing it into the control console and booting up the weapon.

* * *

Up on the roof of Aurora Castle, a segment began to shudder and rise up, splitting down the middle as a large satellite dish emerged from the depths of the palace. The Pokemon ceased their attack in confusion, giving the defenders of the kingdom the chance they needed to press home the attack. The fighter planes engaged at full speed, not even hesitating to unleash their destructive payloads as all civilians had been evacuated to the shelters beneath the city streets of all towns and small cities. Tanks began to emerge from their bases, their guns barking and sending shells right for the Pokemon now invading their home.

Explosions started to rock the kingdom's center city, and some humans ran for the rubble, using it as cover as the attackers began to fall to the Aurora Defense Forces. The battle was beginning to turn against the humans, only for shortly after, the strange satellite dish that had extended from the top of the castle began to hum. Then, a loud screeching emitted from the dish, a sonic pulse spreading out across the kingdom and disrupting the equilibrium of the Fearow and other flying Pokemon in the area.

What happened next could only be described as chaos.

Fearow fell in large numbers, and some landed on the ground only to be blasted by guns or crushed under tank treads. Some buildings fell and crushed others, along with some humans. But the toll of the living was in the favor of the humans. Other warriors began to assist, and soon, the last of the Fearow had been driven away, along with other hostile Pokemon.

The battle had lasted less than a full day, but already destruction and devastation had claimed Aurora's quaint culture and destroyed most of the cities. The wall bore all kinds of craters from Pokemon attacks, and some parts were dangerously corroded thanks to Poison attacks like Gunk Shot and Poison Needle. The Pokemon had also created cracks in the protective barrier. Anti-aircraft guns lay in ruins around the perimeter, and some planes lay in wrecks within the walls. Flames flickered feebly against the coming darkness and the lights that still worked flicked on, flickering weakly. In the darkness of the battle torn kingdom, people began to take stock of their situation and locate their loved ones.

The kingdom's center city and all others had been ravaged by the attacks. And now that the battle had died down, it allowed Steven and his new friend to emerge from hiding.

What they saw shocked them to their core.

Steven felt his legs go weak and he collapsed to his knees, silently staring at the destruction all around them.

His eyes were wide and it seemed to Kyou that the young man was going into shock. He nudged him harshly and Steven seemed to snap out of it. "Huh?"

"Steven, let's go," he said.

The black-haired man nodded and he got to his feet, grabbing his bike and mounting it. Kyou didn't get on this time, but instead clambered onto the back of his Pokemon. The fighting type nodded and at once leapt into the air and on top of a building. Steven started his bike and the trio began to move. Steven was stunned by this devastation. In all his life, he had never thought this would be the End of Days described in old Ransei legends.

But it was not, as people still lived, and so did many Pokemon.

His eyes flicked around, taking note of the people as they gathered around bodies starting to be recovered from the rubble. It also didn't help that communications were very spotty at the moment, the sonic weapon having messed with the radio frequencies. Steven looked back towards one of the streets, and at once he gritted his teeth. He didn't even let Kyou know what he was up to as he suddenly swerved to the left and headed out of the kingdom's capital, dashing right for the suburbs in which he lived.

The trip there was just as devastating.

All around him he could see destroyed houses, torn up roads, and devastated trees. Craters pockmarked the area, and he began to worry for his family.

Images of the devastation suddenly surfaced in his head and he felt his stomach lurch as he realized that maybe his parents and friends had died. What if they had been torn to shreds by Swift attacks? What if they had been eaten? What if they died of burns? What if... What if... What if... ? There were just too many possibilities and at once he grabbed his phone, dialing as he drove with one hand.

The signal bars flashed weakly, then went out. He stared in shock at the lack of a signal, his mind unable to process the possibility of their loss. He tried again, and again. But nothing happened. All he got was a dead zone. He stared in shock at the screen before he put the phone back in his pocket. Tears pricked at his eyes as he shook his head. '_Dammitall!_' he thought to himself. He grasped the bike's handlebars and let out a scream as he punched it.

All he could see in his mind's eye were their charred bodies, before they were replaced by bodies eaten by Fearow and other flying types. His heart was now pounding in his chest as he felt the tears streaming down his face only to be blown away by the wind. He felt as if he were flying rather than riding as he sped down the road. His teeth gritted and he was clenching the handlebars so tight it seemed as if he would break the throttle off.

He increased the speed of his bike and the wheels screeched as he burned rubber. He hunched over the bike's control panel, and the readouts on the windshield ticked past his vision. A map showed up on the glass and his eyes narrowed as several roads flashed red, indicating either severe damage or destroyed altogether. His eyes narrowed a bit as he saw this. He was jolted back to his senses as he felt the bike lurch over a large hole and he swore, peeling to the right and heading down another road which was flashing yellow.

The road conditions did little to stop him as he finally arrived near the town in which he lived.

Like all the others, it was damaged and several buildings were destroyed, but for the most part it was untouched. Bodies of flying Pokemon and humans alike littered the area and his eyes widened as he stared in shock at the destruction. Fires flickered near the houses, and he began to fear the worst for his family and friends. He punched the throttle and the bike reared back onto its hind wheels before slamming back down and he darted through the destroyed sections of the town, reaching his street and peeling to the left.

He flicked on his bike's headlight and he was greeted by the carnage of war.

Steven felt sick to his stomach and he nearly vomited on his bike's controls, but he held it in. He needed to get to his house and see if his family was all right! _Then_ he could get sick.

The street was deserted as he turned onto it and slowed his bike.

The houses were dark, but for the most part were undamaged. Only a few signs of attack lingered, primarily the bodies of several Fearow and one Pidgeot. A human child lay in the middle of the street, half her body eaten by the bird Pokemon. She looked to be no more than five.

Steven drove down the street a bit more, his eyes landing on the house he called home.

Thankfully the generator his dad had bought all those years ago still worked. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the lights coming on, flickering into life. It was a sign of hope, and he began to see a few others coming on as well, no doubt due to either candlelight or backup generators. The doors on a few other homes opened and people stepped out, no doubt relieved to see that he was all right.

Steven parked his bike in the driveway and headed for the front door of his home.

His heart was now pounding double time as he grasped the handle and opened the door, only to be greeted in a huge hug by his mother, a short petite woman with black hair and green eyes which were accented by her tan skin. He could feel wetness streaking down his neck and he reached up, hugging her back; she was crying.

His father, a big, burly man with a thatch of brown hair and brown eyes to match his skin tone, ran out, holding a shotgun in his hands, but lowered it upon seeing his son.

"Steven…" he whispered.

"Hey Dad," Steven said, holding his mother close.

The door to the basement opened and out came a few other people he knew well: his three best friends. Lithe, brunette-haired and grey-blue-eyed Willma "Wingma" Nelson, her younger brother Zachary "Zippy" Nelson, with his messy red hair and blue eyes, and Bradley "Radar" Harrison, with his big imposing build and short, yet shaggy brown hair which framed deep blue eyes.

The sense of relief was so profound it was almost tangible. Steven broke down crying as his three friends approached, and slowly, one by one, they joined the hug. He was one of those lucky enough to have his loved ones survive.

Others... were not as fortunate as he. And some were not fortunate at all.


	2. Assess

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokemon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokemon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokemon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

**The Ransei Chronicles**

**Book One: What I've Done**

* * *

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokemon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokemon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokemon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokemon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'****Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokemon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokemon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontatine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokemon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done **

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokemon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokemon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Assess**

**Aurora - Date: 17 August**

The group looked at one another, their eyes flicking onto their faces before turning back to the burning city in the distance. They still couldn't believe that all this was done by Pokémon they called their friends and allies. But at the same time, it was becoming a harsh new reality. Steven watched as some people from his home street began bringing buckets towards another house which started burning due to a power line having been downed in the attack.

The makeshift fire brigade was set up by Kyou himself, his partner standing beside him and ushering new people to the end of the brigade. Steven's eyes flicked back towards him and the young man nodded his head before turning back and barking out an order to an older man struggling with a few buckets.

A hand on his shoulder caught Steven by surprise and he yelped a bit before turning back to the hand's owner, his friend Willma. She had a soft look in her eyes as she sat down beside him.

"Thinking about what happened?" she asked.

Steven nodded. "Yeah. I… I just can't believe this all happened…" he murmured, looking back at the black smoke still rising from the city. It now seemed more like night than day. And for good reason: the smoke was so thick since it was coming from three other cities surrounding the capital. He could feel his eyes watering from the ash and a thick stench of burning sulfur and charred flesh and metal greeted his nose and coated the inside of his mouth.

He reached up and gagged a few times.

"I mean… one day things were normal and then… it all went to Hell…" he said. Steven closed his eyes and wiped away the tears with a hand before removing it and studying it. "It's hard to believe it began just yesterday…"

Willma nodded, her eyes watering from the ash as well. She coughed a few times to clear her throat and some ash floated in front of her. She looked at it in surprise.

"And no doubt we'll all be experiencing some kind of problems in the future," he muttered, looking up.

"Still, what caused this?" she asked.

Steven shrugged. "How should I know?" he asked softly. His voice cracked a little as he remembered the destruction and the carnage in the battle he witnessed yesterday. "We're just lucky the warlord got things up and running for the sonic weapon… and that the military acted as quickly as they did."

Willma knew what he was getting at.

Just the thought made him shudder in disgust as he sighed and closed his eyes.

"I just hoped this… or something like this… would never happen," he admitted.

"We all hoped for that, Steven," Willma said honestly as she closed her eyes as well. She opened them and turned back to face him.

He opened his eyes a second later.

"I just don't understand…" he said. "I mean, sure I can understand the Fearow attacking us, but… even then… before all of this… it wasn't as bad…"

He recalled a few days ago when he had been out flying his plane when he got jumped by a flock of Fearow flying overhead. He barely managed to avoid them, only losing them by flying through the closest city and weaving through the skyscrapers. While a risky and illegal move, it had caused the Flying types to break off and retreat as antiaircraft guns had locked onto their positions. (Each city in Aurora had at least fifteen to twenty-five antiaircraft (AA) guns for defense in case of such an event.)

Steven considered himself lucky that time around.

Even so, it still did little to make him feel better as he finally returned from the trip down memory lane.

He could see the surrounding neighborhoods were still dark, a few on fire, but nothing that couldn't be handled. His hand drifted to the keychain around his neck and he looked down at the keys hanging from the ring.

Tears clenched in his eyes as he wondered if his cousin had survived the attack.

Willma seemed to sense this and she placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling like she had to do something.

But there was nothing she could do except to comfort him.

Steven closed his eyes and he gripped the keychain around his neck.

* * *

Day turned into night, the sky finally darkening until all that remained was pure blackness. It looked like something out of Dante's Inferno, with fires flickering in the distance and thick, large burning segments of the cities and towns. Some were untouched, but most were not. A few smaller towns were moderately damaged and a few had electricity still, but not much.

Steven stood near his house, shuddering at the sight. A few offroad vehicles owned by civilians were now starting to clear the rubble and debris, some construction equipment being brought in from a nearby construction site to help with hauling the pipes and larger pieces of debris away from the street. He shot a glance back towards his bike and he wondered if he'd be able to go for a brief ride.

His father approached with his shotgun on his shoulder.

"You doing okay, son?" he asked.

"Not really…" he murmured. "I… I think I'm gonna go for a ride."

Alan's face softened as he sensed his son's need to clear his head. "All right. But be careful," he cautioned.

Steven nodded as he got to his feet and began to walk towards his bike.

Within minutes he was out on the open road, the headlight penetrating the ever encroaching gloom that threatened to swamp out any light. His eyes were hidden behind his visor as he had flipped it down. He had no desire to wear his helmet right now; he wanted to feel the wind in his face.

He gritted his teeth and opened the throttle, peeling across the broken highway and over a battered bridge. He could feel it rattling ominously, but then he was over it and across to the other side. He could always find another way back. But right now he had other things to worry about. Like if his cousin was still alive, or if the hangar where his plane was stored was untouched. Or if his other friends were all right. Or if his grandmother or grandfather were alive.

There was just so much he could think about having gone wrong, and it only made him drive faster. His eyes were now watering again, and this time not from the ash.

"Please… Be all right…" he murmured.

He drove for an hour before he brought the bike to a stop on top of a hill.

To Steven, it resembled something out of a post-apocalyptic film. Cities burning, darkened skies, people wandering about on foot or struggling over debris in cars and trucks. And he felt like a wanderer, an outcast in this new society.

But it was not, and he knew it.

He gritted his teeth as he watched this scene unfold before his eyes.

He never felt so lost before. It was almost like…

The world _had_ come to an end.

He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, tears forming in his eyes. "What can I do?" he muttered. "How can I live like this? And…"

As a lone Pokemon howled in the distance, he threw his head back and screamed to the blackened skies.

* * *

Auroros was a mess.

All around the massive fortress were cracked and damaged buildings, glass blown out and the streets littered with the bodies of the dead and dying. Both Pokémon and human alike lay in the middle of the cratered streets, blood pooling around them before running in rivers of red through the cracks. Fires burned here and there, but thankfully they were contained by rubble or the fire department as they struggled to get aid to those trapped in burning buildings or homes. The smoke was so thick it made the sky seem like night, and the lights that did remain on were like specks against the raging infernos further back. Shells from the AA guns and a few unexploded missiles lay in the middle of all of this, and he felt sick to his stomach just by looking at it.

Warlord Greg Hansen clenched his fists as he stood on the roof overlooking the city, his trench coat fluttering in the breeze generated by the fires around the building. His tan skin was covered here and there in soot and dirt from having assisted a few people in getting to shelter within the fortress itself. His reddish brown hair was teased by the winds and his dark green eyes seemed as if they were clouded with the smoke itself. His six-foot frame seemed to sag under the weight of his ever increasing responsibilities as he watched the people who had survived come out from the underground shelters.

Well, most of them, anyway.

A few shelters had collapsed due to several ground types using Earthquake and killing the people trapped inside.

His shoulders sagged as he sighed and closed his eyes, trying to block out the sights and sounds of the aftermath. Yet the cries of the dying weren't so easy to block out. He heard several footsteps behind him and he turned, facing one of his most trusted advisors.

"Sir, we're ready to begin," he said.

The warlord nodded and without as much as a word, he turned and walked towards the twin doors leading inside the massive building. As he passed through them, the steel doors began to swing inward and close, blocking out the smoke and smell of death.

The fortress itself had borne the brunt of the attack extremely well, only sustaining minor damage to its roof and windows. The thick concrete walls had only sustained scratches and some chips on their exterior surfaces. Built out of concrete during the feudal era, the fortress lasted as long as it did because of the lack of flimsy wood aside from decorative sculptures and carvings on either side of the two massive entry doors, also made out of concrete and using a sophisticated system of pulleys and levers to open and close them. The massive wing-like fan shape which was the symbol of Aurora had long since been replaced with something similar but different as well, a more modern pair of wings to symbolize reaching for the future.

Over the course of the centuries, the fortress had undergone several renovations on the interior, adding more advanced defenses, such as gun emplacements, the chamber for storing the sonic pulse weapon, and even AA guns and missile launchers for airborne threats from other kingdoms. But the basic structure had remained the same, only needing to be repaired once in its entire existence when a massive bomb from another kingdom damaged the southern wall badly to cause several large cracks due to a mistaken drop.

Hansen never felt so relieved that the structure had survived.

He entered the meeting chamber, a modern room with a table and several computer stations placed around it. The Councilors were already there, as was a camera crew from the Aurora Broadcasting Commission.

"Okay. Let's get down to business," he said as he took his seat.

The Councilors nodded.

Even the General Command Staff was there.

"So, what's the situation?" Hansen asked.

The Councilor of Communications looked at the warlord with a grim look. "Well, sir, all radio communications are down, as you know. The landlines are still operational, but some communities have been cut off due to ground types no doubt severing the lines when all went to Hell. As for satellite communications, those are spotty at best due to all the smoke."

"Hmm..." The warlord placed his hands in front of his face as he pondered this. "I see. And what of the casualties?"

"Casualties are in the hundreds, if not thousands all over Aurora," the Councilor of Health said softly. "And reports are still coming in from all over Ransei. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the death toll will be at least one point five million total."

Hansen frowned. "Any idea as to what provoked this attack on us?"

"No clue, sir," one of the General Command Staff said as he looked over. "Our forces state that no Pokémon or Warriors from any of the surrounding kingdoms unleashed this kind of an attack. The R&amp;D guys say it could be a new kind of weapon, but after what we saw..." He shook his head. "I highly doubt it."

The warlord sighed. "I see."

"Also, several Warriors in the Army have witnessed something that could partly explain this," the General of the Army reported.

"Huh? Something important? What?" Hansen asked as he looked at the man.

"The Warriors have reported seeing their Pokémon partners going crazy, and one of them had to use his Link to calm his partner down, but not without difficulty. That man said that while calming his partner, he heard an ancient language that sounded guttural and very harsh. But he also stated that there were these ancient, primal urges and an irrational hatred of humankind that he sensed. He was able to quell the urges and lock them behind a wall, but it really disturbed him," the Army general explained.

The warlord pursed his lips at this new information. "And you're telling me this because...?"

"I think that whatever provoked this attack wasn't human," he said. "I have a feeling that it may have been someone else, more ancient and older, wiser, and with a grudge against humanity."

The General's words were enough to make everyone there pause.

The Councilor of Defense stood up, his eyes blazing. "So, you think that it's some kind of Pokémon?" he asked.

Hansen held up a hand and waved the man back down. He had a grim look in his eyes. "If that's the case, then we need to be prepared for anything."

The warlord then stood up and looked at his Councilors. "All of you are to get to work on trying to get order reestablished here. That's the first thing. Second, I need everyone in the study of Pokémon to start examining them and figuring out what the hell is going on. And third, I want all Aurora Defense Forces to go to DEFCON 0! If any wild Pokémon come and attack, no one is to give ground and all forces are to fight until they either withdraw or cause enough losses to force a retreat!" he said.

"Yes, sir!" everyone said as one.

"Sir, you're scheduled to give a speech in an hour," an aide said.

"Forget the hour," Hansen said. "I'm going live now. No speech written."

The camera crew blinked in shock. The cameraman raised his glasses a bit before he adjusted them. "You sure, sir?" he asked.

Hansen nodded. "Yes. It's the best way right now."

* * *

All across Aurora, the satellite communications went to work, broadcasting their weak signals to all homes that still had power, or mobile devices that still had battery juice. What few satellite radios still worked also picked this up.

"_To all the brave people of Aurora, this is Warlord Greg Hansen._

"_As you all know, recently we fell under attack by an impossibly large flock of Fearow that dwarfed even the most recent attack twenty-five years ago. This flock numbered in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. That large number prompted a vast scale attack of unprecedented proportions, hitting each and every city in the kingdom. The aftermath is all around us. And with more dead rising in the kingdom and across the region, it has come to my attention that this kingdom may not be alone in this._

"_I say we're not alone in this because recent images and data from the satellites we're still able to receive from has shown the entire region is in the same situation we are. Therefore the only conclusion at this point is that the entire _world_ is suffering through this as well. We're unsure as to what's happening, but reports from Warriors across the kingdom are consistently pointing to irrational hatred for humans suddenly blossoming within their partners, only to be restrained and locked away. Pokémon from other regions have gone berserk as well, often killing their trainers or each other._

"_I know you're all confused, and I am as well. Rest assured though we are working on trying to get to the bottom of this. As soon as we have the answer, we'll let you know._

"_Right now though what needs to be done is we need to try and get Aurora back on track and back in order. Any Warriors still able to fight are to assist the soldiers of the ADF in rounding up the crazies and looters. If at all possible, we are to focus on getting power back to those that are dead and dying. As of right now, Aurora is at DEFCON 0. DEFCON 0. Any attacking Pokémon is to be shot and killed on sight until we know more about what's going on. Our mission is to ensure the safety of those hurt in this senseless attack, as well as the safety of those that survived the slaughter._

"_People of Aurora, we have been dealt a massive blow not just to our cities and culture, but also to the very thing we pride ourselves on: our very way of life. We've lost thousands, and if the death toll continues to rise, this may spread to other areas of the region as well. It tears at my heart to even witness this senseless destruction. Our very livelihoods and futures have been drastically and forever altered by this event. All we can do now is try and adapt, try to move on, and hopefully strive to create a better future. Whoever is behind this will pay for their actions. Therefore I am initiating the Omega Protocol. All forces are to prepare for possible war with our neighbors and/or any Pokémon that have turned against us. Any Pokémon that wishes to join us and bring back some sense of order and peace is willing to do so. But be warned: those of you who try to defy us will suffer the consequences. Several of our psychic Warriors will be scanning your minds and hearts to determine if your intentions are pure or not._

"_Any civilian willing to assist us is more than welcome to do so._

"_Yet such a decision must not be made lightly. War is hell, and it can claim lives, no matter how hard one tries to defy the odds in combat. Therefore you must be willing to sacrifice yourself for the protection of all those to come, and to ensure that nothing like this happens again._

"_So, are you willing to take that chance? If so, report to the nearest recruiting station for an evaluation. If not, then there are other ways in which you can help. But the biggest one right now is to remain calm and try to stem the violence before it gets out of hand._

"_I know how hard it is, and believe me, after seeing this senseless destruction of our home, I wish to do nothing but find the one who did this and hunt them down. Yet we cannot. Not until we know more about what's going on. So don't let this get to you. Take your rage and channel it into your jobs. Take it and turn it into something useful. Remember what it is that our kingdom was founded on all those centuries ago, and hold those ideals close to your hearts. And focus your fury into defending them._

"_We will get through this. We are going to become the light in the world's darkest hours. That time is now. The Apocalypse is upon us, but will we hide and let it overcome us, or will we stand up and say no? Will we let the End of Days wipe out humankind? No! Will we let darkness claim our world? NO! Will we let Armageddon bring about the demise of our civilization?! Will we let our children suffer in this apocalyptic wasteland?! Will we let our future generations struggle for even the basic of necessities?!_

"_I say no! I refuse to let my children suffer in such a wasteland! I refuse to let the world suffer under this new world order! And I say no to the future that has been laid out before us with this attack!_

"_Right now other regions are suffering as much as we are, and some even worse than us. Those that are suffering the worst have no hope, and therefore, in the words of our founder Ryuubi Tanaka, 'we shall become the light in the world's darkest hour. We shall unite the land and bring a new age of prosperity.' But we will go beyond that. We will create a place of hope, a place where humanity still has a chance for salvation and freedom. We will create a nation that has a chance in this new world order! And we will not stand for anyone who tries to stop us! To the one who did this, I issue a declaration of war! You try to stop us, you will feel the wrath of the people of Aurora, and the coming of the Age of Lumina!_

"_The time to make a stand is now! The Age of Darkness may be over us, but we will cancel it out! This, I, Warlord Greg Hansen, swear upon the very sword my ancestor, the Warrior Hiro Kaguma in service to Lord Ryuubi Tanaka, used to save his master's life: the sword _Kusanagi!_ And we will be victorious!_"

The transmission ended with that, leaving everyone in Aurora with a sense of drive and determination. They went to work, and almost instantly most rioting came to an end as people started to assist one another. While there was still some, it was limited to foreigners who were frantic and panicking. Thankfully they were easily rounded up, although a few were trying to escape capture.

And it only got worse when the first refugees arrived. Over forty from the Kingdom of Greenleaf came swarming through a hole in the steel doors guarding Aurora's main gate, all of them desperate and their clothes torn and tattered. They were welcomed by the people of Aurora, whose overall infrastructure and buildings were somewhat intact when compared to other kingdoms in Ransei.

The refugees brought with them tales of Pokémon going crazy for no reason and of how the Warriors had to use the Link to rein in their new destructive instincts and hatred for humanity. Some Warriors though were overcome by the backlash through the Link, and were going crazy in attacking other humans and sometimes even Pokémon. It all added up to what the Warlord of Aurora had said: war _had_ been declared, but by whom, they had no idea. A few more people arrived from Ignis, each bringing with them fresh new tales of carnage and war. And Fontaine even had some people fleeing to the safety of the fortified walls of Aurora.

But things were only bound to get worse as time passed. Especially for one young man who would soon be thrust into the awesome responsibility of uniting Ransei under one banner.

* * *

Steven returned to the house an hour later, feeling drained and tired from his trip. He reached the street and pulled into his driveway, feeling exhaustion creeping up on him. He parked his bike and managed to stagger his way up to the porch where he flopped down on the couch outside. He put a hand to his forehead, running his hand through his hair before he let it fall.

His vision swam as he felt his head starting to hurt from all the events that had transpired so far. Steven knew he was going to black out from the shock; he had heard of such a thing happening, but never thought he'd experience it himself. But something stirred within him as he shot a glance back at the corpse of the young girl, which still hadn't been removed; with all that was going on, it made sense since the priority was to get some sense of order back into things.

His mind recently flashed back to the battle, and he grimaced again.

Why did this even have to happen?!

He gripped his head in his hands, trying to make sense of it all. First there was a normal day, and then… all went to Hell. The only reason they were still alive was the fact that the warlord had ordered all forces mobilized to defend the kingdom. And the sonic pulse weapon was another reason that they were still here.

Only now what was he to do? He had no means of fighting back, and his plane wasn't exactly armed for battle, being only a simple crop duster in design and function, even if it _did_ have a faster and more powerful engine than was called for.

He was no warrior, so… how was he going to assist and defend the other lands?

Something moved in the brush off to the side of his house and he perked up, grabbing the closest weapon he could find (a pipe) and pulled it free from the ground where it had been lodged during the initial attack yesterday. (Was it just yesterday? It seemed a lot longer than that now.)

The young man got off the couch, all thoughts of the aftermath scattered from his brain and only thoughts of defending his home currently occupying his thoughts. He clenched his fists around the pipe, feeling the metal digging into his flesh. He gritted his teeth as he crouched and prepared for combat.

But the source of the movement to emerge wasn't a Pokémon. Instead, it was a human. And if the Poke Balls were anything to go by, the kid was a trainer. He looked to be in his late teens, with blonde hair and bright green eyes contrasting nicely with his lighter skin tone, and he had five Poke Balls around his waist. "You okay?" he asked, making Steven sigh in relief as he lowered the pipe and placed it off to the side, only to reconsider and grab it for defense. He nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he said. "Sorry. Ever since things went south…"

"I know," the boy said. "I'm from Johto. The name's Ben Kamiya. And you?"

"Steven Krane," Steven said, holding his hand out. "Your Pokemon doing all right?"

Ben shook his hand and shook his head no. "No. They went berserk just yesterday, and I don't know why. I'm really worried about my family back home," he said, looking down at the ground beneath his feet.

He felt a pang of sympathy and fear for this boy, and his face softened as he watched the kid sit down on the edge of his porch. "I…I don't even know if I can go home now…" he muttered.

Steven approached the kid and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey…Ben, look. I don't know what's happening myself, and to be honest, I'm kind of scared as to what's happening in the outside world. In fact, I kind of don't want to be involved in this, but I am. And I'm going to find out what's going on, even if I don't want to. And I'm gonna find a way to get you back home to your parents."

He didn't know it, but that promise was what sealed his future as Aurora's future warlord, and as the man who would unite Ransei to save the world.

Ben looked back, surprised at his words. "You… You're willing to help, even if you're scared?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah. I… I feel like something big has happened, and I'm gonna figure out if there's anything that can be done to reverse it."

"Good luck with that!" a man snapped from over by an overturned car. He looked a bit like he was from Hoenn, and his accent was distinctly Hoenn as well. He had a nasty burn on his left leg from his Pokemon no doubt, and he had bright green eyes with blonde hair. His eyes were hard like emeralds though, and his clothing was torn from his journey to this subdivision on foot. "I got word from my folks via my PokeNav and the whole world's basically fucked over. Every region is falling under attack by Pokemon, and no one is safe. Not even this place."

"What?" Steven got to his feet and walked over to the man. "You…How can you even say that?!" he asked, his eyes hardening.

The man shot the younger man a hard glare. "It's true, kid. Every region is done for. See for yourself." He shoved the PokeNav into his hands and Steven checked it over, his eyes widening.

"…_and so far Slateport City continues to resist the attacks. But so far not even the Hoenn Militia is able to hold back the wild strikes of the Water-types that live outside the city's borders, and the Electric types continue to wreak havoc in the city power plants. We don't know how much longer we can continue to broadcast, but we—_" The screen suddenly cut out and the man smiled rather grimly.

"See? The world's fucked, kid. You can't reverse whatever's going on. And even if you could, it's too late. The world has come to an end. Might as well try and ride it out the best you can. Armageddon is on the horizon," he said as he reclaimed his PokeNav.

Steven was shocked, not just because of his attitude, but also because of the fact that the PokeNav was able to receive and send signals from _outside_ the region. He wondered how many other regions had retained satellite communications. Given the state of things though, it didn't seem like very many still had such capabilities.

He turned away from the man, walking back to his home and dropping the pipe as he sat down on the porch, burying his face in his hands.

What was he gonna do now?

He needed a direction, any direction really. All he was hoping for was a way to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again…

And nothing was there for him.

Sighing in defeat, he turned and sprawled out on the porch, exhaustion creeping up behind him and pouncing on him. He had never felt so exhausted before in his life. Now that the initial adrenaline surge had worn off, he felt he needed to sleep.

He closed his eyes and turned over, sleep finally overcoming him and he fell into its embrace.

* * *

_The young man sighed as he adjusted his plane's altitude and shot a glance down at the fields below. He could just make out his friends playing on the edge of the river and a smile crossed his face. Nothing was as perfect as this day._

_The sky was clear, the sun was shining, and no clouds were present. The winds were favorable and he enjoyed being able to fly and feel the motions of his plane as if they were the motions of his own body. He adjusted the ailerons and put the plane into a right turn, passing over the river and fields in a perfect knife edge. He flicked on the sprayer and a soft mist of water emerged from the sprayer's nozzles, dusting the fields in light dewdrops. He buzzed down over his friends as they waved, drops of water landing on their flesh and clothes._

_He flipped the plane and put it into a climb, pulling up into a neat loop before flipping the plane upright again and looking back at the sun looming over the mountains. A smile crossed his face again as he put his aviator's visor down, blinking his eyes a few times._

_Steven looked out the windshield and his eyes narrowed a bit as a frown crossed his face. On the control panel, he noticed the radar blipping and he turned his gaze to it, his eyes widening as he spotted the distinct shapes of Fearow flying just beneath his plane. He looked out, and his frown deepened as he saw the Pokémon starting to ascend to meet him._

_His fingers tightened on the controls._

_His feet lightly pressed the pedals._

_The Fearow struck first. One of them unleashed a Swift attack, but Steven pushed down on the controls and his plane went into a dive. He reached over and flicked a switch on the controls, switching over from the water canister on the sprayer to a different canister, one meant for defense if such a situation occurred._

_Steven gritted his teeth as he leveled the plane and snapped the controls to the right, the motion of the plane's turn overcoming his body and he pushed the throttle forward, increasing the speed of the aircraft to full. He noticed the Fearow beginning to fall behind, but they were unrelenting and fired off a few more Swift attacks before he was forced to dodge the incoming stars. He put the plane into a barrel roll and flipped it to the left, peeling away and flying back towards the Fearow._

_Now such a move was reckless, and most pilots preferred to avoid such a move because the closer they got, the more damage their plane was bound to take. But Steven wasn't deterred. He had done this a few times before, so he knew the trick to dodging. He feathered the controls, his touch light and sensitive, the plane responding as if it were his own body._

_A few Swift attacks barely missed the metallic skin of his plane, the heat rippling the air around them. He twisted and dove, twirling the aircraft around with the ease of a professional pilot. As he drew closer, he went into a steep climb, his hand flicking out to the switch and flipping it, activating his sprayer and releasing the thick gas contained within the equipped canister._

_The Fearow squawked and screeched at the feel of the gas in their lungs and eyes, peeling off and flying away as he kept climbing over the flock. At the apex of his climb, he smiled and leveled off, gently banking around as the Pokémon flew away, becoming just specks in the distance._

_He smiled a bit more when they vanished and he turned his gaze back towards the ground._

_Only to gasp in shock at the sight of the devastation below him._

_He blinked his eyes, and suddenly he was no longer in his plane, but flying through the air, raging fires burning below him and thick smoke choking his lungs. His eyes were watering as he struggled to make out the shapes below him, but he could barely see anything. Steven's eyes went wide as he found himself suddenly spiraling out of control, falling right for the inferno._

_Something suddenly buffeted him and he yelped as he instinctively pulled up, feeling his body straining at the movement. Steven grimaced before he leveled off, and his eyes widened in shock at the burning remains of Aurora. A loud screeching caught his attention and he glanced back, fear flooding his body as a giant Fearow attacked him, slicing his skin and drawing fluids to the surface._

_He felt himself plummeting and he screamed as he lost control, pain searing through him…_

* * *

"NO!" he shouted, bolting upright as he gasped for breath, looking around with wide, dilated eyes.

Steven was panting heavily, sweat running down his skin in rivers. His shirt was stained with sweat and his body was shivering from the adrenaline that threatened to overwhelm him.

He looked around, his eyes returning to normal as he found himself at home, still on the porch, the dim light from the generator-powered lights calming him down a bit. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, raising a hand to his head. "Dammit… Even in my sleep I can't get over this…"

He removed his hand and looked out at the damaged subdivision. There just seemed to be no way that they'd be able to fix this…

Steven got to his feet and made his way over to the area where some people had set up a makeshift kitchen. He spotted his best friends and walked over to them, grabbing a bite to eat as he did so. He sat down on the ground and looked back at them. "Just what can I do, guys?" he asked.

"You mean about fixing this?" Radar asked in his deep baritone voice, shooting him a glance.

The black-haired young man nodded. "Yeah. I mean… I…"

Willma seemed to sense his mood and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. We'll figure this out," she said. "We'll find some way to fix it. Even if it takes a long time, we will."

"I sure hope so," Steven muttered as he looked down at his breakfast.

Kyou heard the conversation and joined them at their "table", holding a bowl of cereal in his hands. "Morning," he said.

"Hey, Kyou," Steven said softly.

Kyou took note of this and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Can we even do this?" he muttered. "I mean, try to fix what went wrong…"

The other man sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. "I honestly have no idea. But I think we can at least try to help Aurora get back on its feet after this," he said.

"I hope you're right…" Steven murmured softly.

And he hoped it was true, too.

Kyou looked over at Blaze, his eyes hardening as they met with the Pokémon's. The Blaziken frowned and shrugged. Not like he had any idea, Kyou translated. The warrior sighed as he looked away.

His memory flashed back to when he first learned of this.

* * *

_Kyou grinned as he watched the trainers finish their battle, Blaze standing beside him with a smile on his face as well. The two congratulated their opponent before shaking hands and recalling their Pokemon. It wasn't that hard to enjoy seeing such an event, and personally it was kind of exciting to Kyou to see how others spent time with their Pokémon friends and partners._

_He knew that in other regions they had Pokémon contests and battles, but he had never seen such an event for himself first hand. But now… Now he wondered if it would be possible to try and establish a Pokémon League for Ransei, or at least Aurora._

_However, those thoughts were driven from his mind as something unexpected began to happen, throwing him off guard and making him cry out as he gripped his head, feeling this searing pain suddenly surging across the Link, forcing him to his knees. "AAAH!"_

_His eyes closed as he started to roll around on the ground, and within his mind he heard something guttural, but there were words with it, even if he couldn't understand them, being in a dialect far older than mere human speech. He had no time to ponder or try to understand them as he suddenly felt this surge of power and fury from nowhere, driving his mind back to the depths of his brain._

_He could feel something screaming, forcing him to fight back, and yet not. He threw punches and lashed out in kicks as he heard something raging at humanity for some odd reason, only to feel it being brushed aside as a scream of pain caught his attention and he felt himself surfacing, and as he did so, he seized his body and forced that uncontrollable urge to harm humans back to the depths of his thoughts, sealing it behind a wall and turning his attention to Blaze who was now unleashing devastating fire attacks and burning everything around him._

_He forced himself to focus on the Link, grasping at it and tugging it with his mind. He closed his eyes and found himself on the innerscape leading to the mind of his Blaziken. Kyou forced himself forward, making his way through the tangle of foreign thoughts and alien urges, brushing them aside as they nicked at his mind and soul. He reached out, forming a few daggers and cutting through the thicket as it grew ever wilder, almost like it was hostile._

_The urges suddenly erupted and thinking quickly, he willed the daggers into a shield, disrupting their flow and allowing him to get to Blaze. The Pokémon was raging like crazy, but he reached out a hand, grasping at the fire type and despite the pain from the burns, he grasped his Pokémon, muttering in his mind and forcing those destructive urges and irrational hatred back to the depths of his mind as well, sealing it with the Link behind a wall of impenetrable thought._

_Blaze blinked his eyes as he found himself in his partner's grasp, his body slightly burned from his attacks and his clothing scorched here and there. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he had been crying or something._

_"__Blaze? You okay?" he asked, looking up._

_The fire type nodded, confusion flooding his features._

_"__Help! Somebody help!" a voice screamed._

_At once, Kyou spun on the spot, his eyes widening as he spotted the two trainers now under attack by their own Pokémon as they burst free from their Poke Balls. A Gyrados let loose with a Hyper Beam at its own trainer, and the man screamed as he was incinerated in the attack._

_The other Pokémon ran rampant, attacking each other and burning, freezing, or cutting their own into bits or pieces. Kyou felt like he was gonna get sick from this, and he grasped his stomach as he felt his lunch rush up his throat. He leaned over and vomited, feeling his mind reeling._

_What in the name of Heaven was going on here?_

_The other trainer, a woman, was nearly caught by her Muk as it attacked her, and at once Kyou shot a glance at Blaze, snapping out an order before he had even fully comprehended what was going on. "Blaze, use Flamethrower!" he shouted._

_The fire type sprang into action, running forward and grabbing the girl, pulling her aside before springing back and snagging Kyou in his other arm. He finally turned his head back and let out a small burst of flame before springing away through the trees as the explosion tore open the air, and in effect nearly burning the trio to a crisp. Only thanks to Blaze taking shelter behind some rocks with his cargo did they live._

_The explosion finally died down and Kyou chanced a peek out from behind the rock._

_The entire area was scorched and half the trees had been poisoned by the Muk. The trainer looked up, tears streaming down her face. "W-What happened?" she asked. "Why… Why did they suddenly start attacking?"_

_Kyou shook his head, completely at a loss for words here._

_Whatever the case, he was determined to make it back to his town so he could see if everyone had survived._

_Only when he began his trip did he see just how wrong he was_.

* * *

Now he knew, and he was actually glad that he had lived.

The only question now was what were they gonna do. They had very little information, and it was only worse than he had thought. At least they had some data…

Warriors who had Linked with their partners were able to rein them in unlike foreign trainers whose Pokémon went berserk and either killed their trainers or other Pokémon. It was a stark contrast, although some Warriors also went berserk because their Pokémon's feral instincts overwhelmed them. Not everyone had that happen, but it was still a fair number. If he had to hazard a guess, it would be at least fifteen percent of all warriors at best.

So, while it wasn't common, it wasn't uncommon either.

He looked back at Steven and noticed he was somewhat calmer as he finished breakfast and put his plate in the sink that had been set up outside.

"So, what now?" he asked as he approached.

"I…" Steven sighed as he looked at the keys around his neck. "I really have no idea…"

Kyou frowned as he narrowed his eyes. "You sure? Because from what I heard earlier yesterday, there was clearly still some communication with the outside world…"

Steven whirled around. "You know about that…?!" His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered the Hoenn man's PokeNav. Kyou nodded a bit.

"Yeah. But we don't know how long any other regions will still maintain that capacity. Judging by how bad things are getting in Hoehn, all we can guess is that it'll be about two days before they lose all communications via satellite or radio even," he said seriously.

They had started to assess the situation, but there was more that needed to be done. And they knew it just as well as anyone else here.

Kyou placed a hand on his hip. "Well, we gonna head back to the capital?" he asked.

"And what, risk getting attacked by any wild Pokemon?" Steven snapped. "I don't think so!"

"Well, then what are we gonna do?" Kyou growled as he glared at the pilot. Steven held up his keys, his eyes hard.

"We're gonna fly. And not by Pokemon. We're gonna get an idea of the situation, and hopefully we'll try and figure something out." He looked back at the capital as he said this.

Little did they know that soon the trio would be thrust into an adventure that would lead Ransei on the path to victory in this new war.


	3. Damage Control

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokemon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokemon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokemon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

The Ransei Chronicles

Book One: What I've Done

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokemon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokemon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokemon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokemon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'****Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokemon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokemon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontatine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokemon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done **

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokemon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokemon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Damage Control**

The Warlord was feeling a bit satisfied at what he had done. So far the kingdom was doing well with the recovery and attempting to aid the refugees from the other three kingdoms surrounding them. The only one out of the three they had a real alliance with was Ignis, but even that alliance was frayed with tensions and debate. But somehow the two warlords made it work, and they had established a very vital trading agreement that allowed Aurora to make use of the fine volcanic ash that was a part of the kingdom's landscape and culture.

Ignis possessed a lone volcano right near the kingdom's capital of Ignatius, and since it erupted every fifty or seventy-five years, the kingdom had a large supply of the ash for use in building and making of fine jewelry for the warlords of visiting kingdoms or tourists from other lands. And that very volcano also allowed them to use geothermal power, a source of energy that provided limitless power. It also allowed them to distribute it across their kingdom with very low prices and profit.

Aurora also benefited from this, as they had some smaller towns that drew on Ignis' vast geothermal power facilities.

That very power was now what was driving the kingdom to a very limited extent, but not to the point he would've hoped for. His eyes narrowed as he turned back to the fortress now overflowing with refugees and other people seeking shelter for the coming night. The thick smoke made it hard to tell what time of day it was, but based on the clocks which still ran (of which there were many in the fortress), it was approaching four in the evening.

Warlord Hansen walked over to the closest man who lay nursing a broken leg. His face was contorted in pain and agony, something that made him feel sorry for the man. The Johto native was no doubt the victim of an attack from one of his own Pokemon now sealed within their balls on his belt.

The warlord knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him from moving while one of the medics for the Aurora Defense Forces started working on a splint. The man cried out in pain as the woman set his leg and started to wrap it in bandages. He gritted his teeth as sweat poured down his face, soaking his clothing and making his hair slick with it.

"It's okay! Just a bit longer!" the woman said gently.

"Agh!" The man hissed in pain before it finally appeared to die off and he slumped back, passing out with relief.

The medic wiped her brow with her hand and stood up, nodding to her superior. "Thanks for assisting, sir," she said.

The Warlord merely nodded as he stood up and made his way to the closest group of people trying to get some soup from the soup kitchen that had been set up just hours after the battle had ended. He joined them at the kitchen as the chef there handed out bowls of soup and some other food to go with it. The man nodded at the Warlord, and Hansen took a bowl himself. While he was more used to eating finer food, he was able to stomach this and just eat. He needed his strength for the coming fight, whatever it was.

* * *

The hangar was perhaps the only building at the airport which had suffered minor damage in comparison to some others. Even though the windows were blown out and the doors ripped from their hinges, it was nothing short of sheer luck that the structure had not collapsed and crushed the plane within.

Steven let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw that his plane was intact. He turned to Kyou and waved an arm, telling him it was safe to enter. The black haired youth ran in, Blaze beside him all the while. He whistled at the pristine condition of the plane, a stark contrast to all the destruction around them. "Nice," he said.

The young man nodded, scrambling up into the cockpit and closing the door behind him. "Yeah," he said as he poked his head out the window briefly. "And unfortunately, this thing only has one seat. But we might be able to make do if I just fly this thing slow and low."

"Not a good idea, considering there may still be some Fearow around," Kyou noted as he spotted a few flocks circling, no doubt trying to deduce if their attack had succeeded. "I'm gonna take a helicopter."

Steven poked his head out again and blinked. "You crazy, man?! All the helos have been destroyed or damaged!"

Kyou shook his head and pointed out the hangar doorway. "See for yourself."

The young man pursed his lips as he peered out, spotting what Kyou had seen. The helicopter was somewhat damaged as a result of the attacks, but the debris that fell around and over it had shielded the rotors and engines from the damaging attacks of the Fearow and their allies.

Steven was surprised, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Are you sure? That debris looks to be impossible to move…" he said.

"Let me and Blaze worry about that," Kyou stated as he looked back. "You just get into the air and get an idea of the situation. The sooner we know, the better!"

The pilot blinked, but nodded at the words.

He didn't know why, but this had to be done.

He started the plane's engine and slowly taxied the aircraft out of the hangar and onto the battle-damaged tarmac. He navigated around a few craters, taking care to not get his plane caught in one or damage a wing from the nearest collapsing buildings. The process to get to the runway was long and arduous, but he made it in a half hour.

Now he positioned the plane for takeoff and shot a glance towards the control tower, now damaged and nothing but a burning husk. He gritted his teeth and closed up the windows to prevent the smoke from entering the plane's cockpit. He flipped a switch and the vehicle's highly efficient air filtration system kicked in, venting out the smoke that did come in. He coughed a few times before he flipped down his visor and dropped the flaps, running up the engine and releasing the brakes on the landing gear.

The plane began to taxi down the runway and he pulled back on the stick, putting the plane into a steep climb. He flashed on the wing lights and climbed right through the smoke that blanketed the sky.

His eyes narrowed as he listened for any abnormalities in the engine due to the smoke, but nothing was present and he sighed in relief. He kept climbing a bit more before he pulled up into the air above the smoke and he leveled off at four thousand feet.

His eyes went wide as he stared at the large areas of destruction all around him.

Cities were devastated, roads were burning, and smoke was clouding the sky. He could see the setting sun as it poked through the thick black columns, and he moved his plane around them, weaving in between them with practiced ease. He looked down at the ground below and he wondered just how many had died.

A sudden flash of light further off, clashing against the thick smoke now threatening to engulf the capital city, caught his attention and he pushed his plane to the limit, gunning the engine and feeling the sheer power flowing through the vehicle. Steven's eyes were hard as he leaned forward a bit, peering through the visor he wore. Something wasn't right here, and he knew it.

The kingdom from the air looked like a large fenced in yard, with its defensive walls and the interior being made up of smaller towns and cities, a quarter devoted solely to farming, just enough to supply the people with fruits and veggies and livestock in the short term, but not enough in the long term. But now…

Now half of the area was turned into an apocalyptic wasteland with several large areas of farmland removed or burning. The cities were intact somewhat, but some of the smaller towns were wiped off the map, and he could see those areas were just burning ruins now. Steven felt his heart clench as he circled a bit as he made his way to the capital city, Auroros. "Please… Let me find out what the hell is going on here!" he muttered a bit as he finally leveled the plane and pushed the throttle onward.

He feathered the controls, putting the plane into a steady descent, seeing the buildings coming up rapidly. Down below he could see the lights of different cars and armored vehicles making their way down the cratered roads and across the war-torn landscape. People were steadily making their way across the wasteland and over to spots of lights that looked like makeshift camps of war, and a few even possessed running water as they had camped near burst water mains. A few even had generators that they brought with from Auroros when they moved out to assist the civilian population.

Some Warriors were acting as guards at these camps to make sure they weren't looted or overwhelmed with the injured or needy. He looked back up towards the buildings, only to yelp in shock as something darted by him, making his plane waver a little with the speed of it. Steven blinked his eyes as he leveled the plane and pulled into a level flight. '_What _was_ that?_'

He had no answer because right then and there he saw a massive explosion near the palace and he gasped.

Something in his mind screamed at him at that moment and he suddenly put his plane into a barrel roll, his instinct and years of flying finally paying off as he stared in shock at the massive beam of energy he knew to be from a Hyper Beam streaked off into the distance. His eyes were wide in shock and horror, and he didn't even register the fact that he was shaking until he felt the plane's controls vibrating in his trembling hands.

He hadn't expected to see a Hyper Beam of that magnitude, nor did he expect to see the aftermath as he finally approached the city. Now he could see just what the aftermath looked like.

Two buildings now bore two gaping holes, showing the interiors. The beam tore right through them, allowing an observer to peer directly through both holes and see the palace beyond. Steel girders were warped and wires sparked from the damage done. Windows were shattered and pipes were busted, water gushing out of them and soaking anyone that might have survived the attack.

He put the plane into a circle around the two damaged buildings, and he swore he would vomit as he stared at the charred corpses of people and Pokemon alike within those buildings. Well, those that had escaped the destruction that vaporized most of the middle floors, anyway.

Steven wrenched his gaze away from the holes as tears pricked at his eyes. He reached up with one hand and wiped his eyes, shoulders shaking as he broke down crying a bit. This… this was just too much! How in the hell was he supposed to adapt to such a new lifestyle?! And how in the name of Arceus was he supposed to try and fix this?! It made no sense for Pokemon to suddenly go through all this, and who in their right mind would declare war on humanity?!

He wrenched the controls of his plane in his hands and he felt the plane nimbly respond by going into a turn as he flew towards the now burning castle in the center of the city. Well, the wooden segments were burning, anyway. The concrete structure was holding firm against the encroaching inferno, and as he came in closer, he was shocked to see a large Gyrados looming over a bunch of soldiers and several tanks as they fought to defend the entrance to the palace.

The Gyrados was no doubt the one that fired that Hyper Beam, and his mind confirmed it when he saw the beam fire from the Dragon-type's mouth, launching right for the massive concrete doors as they began to swing shut, but much too slowly. The warlord emerged from the interior of the palace and began to fire his shotgun at the Dragon Pokemon, the bullets doing little damage to the beast, but enraging it beyond belief. The Gyrados turned and aimed its maw at the warlord who gave the beast a middle-finger salute.

The pilot blanched as the Gyrados fired off another Hyper Beam, aiming right for Warlord Hansen as he sneered. The man then leapt to the side, rolling across the ground as he landed on one knee, firing off a shot at the creature's eye and hitting it right below. The bullet didn't do much, but the pain that the Pokemon must have felt was no doubt intense and Steven winced, resisting the urge to cover his ears with his hands. What he _did_ do was rev his plane's engine to full power and he buzzed over, the sight of the battle burned into his mind's eye. He then put the plane into a turn as the roar died down, and he slowed the craft just enough to remain out of the Pokemon's vision, but enough to fly around and get the scope of the fight.

But what he didn't expect was to see someone standing on top of the Gyrados' head.

His eyes went wide as the man looked up, blue hair blowing in the breeze and ice blue eyes locking onto his own brown ones. His body was well built, with finely-toned arms, a well-built chest, well-defined legs, and a sculpted face that looked as if it had been touched by Mew Herself. The man wore a simple blue tunic with leathery sandals and on one arm he wore a shield while in his free hand he held a trident.

The man seemed to sense him and he patted the Gyrados with a foot, causing the beast to stop in its rampage and look up. The man was no doubt its partner, Steven mused grimly. The Pokemon's eyes locked onto the circling aircraft and the man aimed his trident at the plane.

Steven's eyes widened in shock and horror as the Dragon-Type opened its maw and powered up a Hyper Beam, the orange orb covering the width of its mouth before firing in a beam that tore through the air, clearing some smoke in its path. He jerked the controls, putting the craft into a steep climb to avoid the beam, but barely. Some of the paint got burned off, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he had to do something! But what could he do?! His plane wasn't armed, and even _with_ his talent at the controls, he was sure to get burnt to a crisp by that Hyper Beam, or even worse, knocked out of the sky somehow.

The small, nimble plane was his only means of escape and fighting at the moment, but he didn't know _which_ he should do. Sure he could flee, but then what would that mean for the Warlord himself?

His mind was now in turmoil as he clenched his fists on the controls and his eyes squinted shut. What was he supposed to do!?

The man on top of the Gyrados swept his trident, his mouth moving and apparently the Gyrados got a new order because then the next thing the pilot knew, a blast of water came right at him. He yelped and put the plane into a dive, barely avoiding it. "C'mon! I need some kind of an advantage here!" he muttered to himself.

He didn't know it, but he was about to get that advantage in a few minutes. He just needed to hold on a bit longer.

* * *

Kyou frowned as he adjusted the helicopter's controls, trying to keep the aircraft aloft as he neared the city. From the look of things, there was a battle raging near the castle, and he wanted to know what the situation was, and if people needed help there, which, judging by the looks of things, there were.

Blaze stood near the doorway to the helicopter, one hand on the door and the other clenched into a fist, fire forming around it. He was tense, and his eyes narrowed.

"Blaze, get ready when we get there. If anything, Steven may need some help," he said.

The fighting-type nodded and held on tight.

Kyou frowned as he got in closer, and his eyes went wide as he stared in shock at the one-sided fight raging between Steven's plane and the Gyrados below. The smaller, nimble plane flitted through the air, much more gracefully than a plane. In fact, as he got closer, he could see now that it moved as if it were a living creature.

He had to admit, Steven was one hell of a pilot.

But even his skills were just barely keeping him alive.

"Blaze, get the door open! He needs our help!" Kyou ordered.

The Blaziken nodded and pulled the door open with his free hand and held onto the frame, not letting go as they got in closer. Kyou caught a glimpse of the man on the creature's head, but brushed it aside as he nodded at the Pokemon in the door. "Now!" he barked.

The fighting-type drew back his arm and punched, sending the Fire Punch streaking right for the large dragon, hitting it right on the back and scorching its thick hide. While not as effective as it could have been, the move did get the man's attention and he spun, pointing a trident at the black and white helicopter above them.

The Gyrados responded before firing off another Hyper Beam. Kyou put the helicopter into a climb, strafing right as Steven's plane buzzed past.

The radio crackled a bit before a bunch of static interrupted. Kyou grumbled a bit, remembering the radio communications were down. But then his phone rang. He grabbed it in one hand and pressed the button. "Go."

"_Kyou, what the hell are you doing?!_" Steven yelled. "_We have to get that thing away from here!_"

"I know that, man! What do you think I'm trying to do here?!" the black-haired man snapped as he jerked the helicopter to the right, causing the next attack to miss.

"_What?! That sure as hell didn't look like it to me!_" the pilot spat.

"Well, I had to get its attention, didn't I?!" the other man remarked. "Now get outta here! That thing's liable to shoot you down, even with your skills!"

"_Not a chance!_" Steven snarled.

The black-haired man snorted a bit. "Just trust me! Now go!" he said.

The pilot banked his plane around, but didn't make to land until Kyou's next attack – a Fire Blast – struck the Gyrados and the man on its head ordered it to follow, not that he could hear that over the raging of the flames and the roar of the rotors. The Dragon-type began to slither after the unarmed helicopter, and Kyou peeled away, leading the enraged Pokemon away from the burning city.

* * *

Steven watched in shock as the black and white helicopter sped off, becoming lost in the smoke and flames. The fires also concealed the Gyrados as it followed the helicopter. Kyou had just risked his life, giving Steven a chance to land and go see the Warlord, getting an idea of the situation.

He decided to take it and he put the plane into a dive, the sleek aircraft coming to a screeching halt on the cracked pavement of the main street. He flared the flaps, ailerons and elevators while applying the brakes at the same time while cutting the engine, bringing the craft to a stop shortly before the large palace.

The pilot was out of the plane in a flash, his skin already soaked with sweat as he approached the battle site, his eyes widening as he suddenly stared at the large chunk of masonry from a nearby building falling right for the Warlord! "NO!" he shouted, running as fast as he could.

His legs pounded on the pavement, his shoes already smoldering from the intense heat, but he brushed it aside as he screamed out again, this time the warlord looking back before he was caught off guard by the chunk of debris falling from above. His eyes went wide and he cried out as it fell, landing on top of him and crushing his body into dust.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Steven screamed, his eyes wide beneath his visor as he lunged, hoping to get there in time, hoping to save something, to see him alive… anything! He couldn't take it anymore! He had to save his life! There would be no more lives lost on his watch!

But there was nothing that could be done. Nonetheless, Steven came to a stop and grabbed at the pile of debris, trying to lug parts away, moving chunks and small pebbles, his hands starting to bleed from the efforts of moving it. Red streaks adorned the larger rubble that he couldn't budge, but he kept trying anyway. Ignoring the pain now searing through his palms, he grabbed a pipe and began trying to lift the largest chunk, only to fail as he slumped to the ground, staring in shock as the realization hit him.

Warlord Hansen… was dead…

And he had failed to save him.

He fell to his knees, staring at his shaking, blood-stained hands. He… He had failed… But…why? And… how could he adapt to this? He was just a pilot… Just… a pilot…

The shock finally overcame him and he felt sick to his stomach, leaning over and vomiting on the ground as his lunch left his stomach. He was panting heavily now, his face pale, and he was soaked to the bone with sweat. His heart was pounding double time and his head was starting to ache from all of this happening in such a short time span.

His black hair hung over his face as he shook and shuddered under the sudden realization that this was indeed real, and not a dream like he had been hoping. Sure he had only wished for it to be such, but now… Now seeing someone die right in front of him drove it home. His eyes were still wide as he looked down at the ground, unable to accept it, but at the same time realizing that this was now reality.

The closest people who had been staring at this approached, looking at the youth who had tried to save their lord. One of them, a soldier, placed a hand on the pilot's shoulder, and he looked up, eyes shimmering with tears.

Some people began to get to work, moving the larger parts aside with their tanks or help from other Warriors and their Pokemon. But the overall mood was now one of mourning. Warlord Greg Hansen was dead, and he had gone out defending his kingdom to the very last breath.

But now… Now there was no one to lead them.

* * *

"Kid?"

Steven was sitting near his plane, looking down at his bandaged hands when he heard the voice of one of the soldiers.

He looked up, his eyes still holding tears in them.

"You doing okay?" she asked.

"No… I'm not…" Steven rasped, looking away. "I… I just failed to save our warlord…"

"Kid, it happens. We lose warlords a lot. Most die from old age, true, but some die in battle, like right now," the soldier said softly.

"But… I thought that he'd… be around for longer than this…" Steven whispered, tears streaking down his dirt covered cheeks. He wiped at his eyes with one of his hands. "And that… This would… just be a dream…"

"I know, kid. I know how it is. I… I wished it was just a dream, too," the soldier admitted, her eyes clouding over with grief. "But this is indeed reality. And now… We have to adapt."

"But how can we?!" Steven suddenly yelled, his eyes wide with emotion. "How can we adapt and live in this hellhole that some freak wanted us to live in?! I hate this! I hate this entire situation!"

His body was shaking as he spoke. "This whole world…! I despise it! I want the world we used to live in back! I don't want Pokemon to have hatred for us humans! I want people and Pokemon to live in harmony like we used to! I… I just want a world where our children and their future children and so on don't have to struggle to survive, and where Pokemon won't harm them all because we're humans!" he cried.

The soldier was shocked. "After this, I just want to have people live freely! I don't want the Apocalypse to rule our lives!" the pilot finished, his chest heaving as he panted heavily from his rant.

"Kid, you have some great ideals, but there's nothing we can do to go back to normal. And even if we could, this would still affect us," she said.

"Yeah? Well, I say screw this! I'm gonna find a way to bring down the one who did this, and I'm gonna try to save Ransei from this fate!" Steven snapped. "If the one who did this has a problem with humans, then forget that! I say we show this dickwad that we're not all bad!"

Steven's eyes were hard as he faced her. "And if you have a problem with it, then take it and go someplace else!"

"It's not that," the soldier said. "It's not that at all."

"Yeah? Then what is it?" the young man asked.

"We have to adapt. But… we need someone to lead us," the woman admitted, looking back at the remains of the man once known as Greg Hansen. "And without our warlord… that's not going to happen."

"So?" Steven muttered.

"Kid, we need someone like you to lead us," the soldier finally said, facing him.

That got him. "What!? Me?!" he blurted, pointing at himself.

She nodded. "Yes."

"But, why me?! I'm just a pilot!" Steven protested, shaking his head.

"That may be true, but you've got something we need: hope," the soldier said softly. "And sometimes we have to take up a burden that we don't want."

Steven got to his feet, backing up in shock. Here she was, asking him, a mere pilot, to become _warlord_?! But, what was he supposed to do? He had no experience in this! He couldn't do it! And he knew it.

"I… I just can't do it!" he insisted. "I'm no good at being a leader! I'm not even qualified for such a thing! So why insist that I do it?!"

"Because this world needs people like you!" the soldier cried. "Look around us!" She swept her arm about. "People are starting to lose hope! Many are even claiming that we need this, that this is what people deserve! And many are losing faith in our founders' ideals! We _need_ you, kid! You're the only one who can give us hope!"

"There have to be others though!" Steven cried, placing a hand on his plane, as if seeking comfort from the presence of the aircraft. "I… I can't give anyone hope! And if I could, I failed miserably!"

"Yeah? Then why did you go to rescue our warlord?" the soldier asked.

Steven stopped at that. Why _had_ he?

He knew the answer though. It was to try and ensure that the warlord would be around for many more years to come. Steven wasn't much of a fighter, but he could hold his own if need be. And that time against the Gyrados was a fluke because he was a damn good pilot.

"I… I just can't accept…" he muttered.

"Look. I know it's hard, but you got to admit. People are starting to look up to you. Some of my own men said that they'd be willing to serve under someone like you," the woman said.

"I…I just need some time to think…" Steven muttered. He turned and walked off, leaving her behind. He got back in his plane and started the engine, taking flight and banking towards the subdivision he called home.

His mind was reeling from the conversation as he flew, trying to make sense of it all.

What was he supposed to do now?

Steven arrived home that evening, the plane touching down outside the subdivision, his mind still reeling with the conversation from last night. The fact that people were starting to turn to him made him shiver a bit from fear.

What if he failed to live up to their expectations? And what if he failed in leading them? If anything, he was a lousy leader. Even his friends admitted that he wasn't much of a leader. It made him snort with amusement. How could someone like him be a leader if he wasn't even able to save one life?

As soon as his plane came to a halt, he got out and walked up to his family's home.

"Steven?"

He turned at his father's voice.

"Hey, Dad," Steven muttered.

Mr. Krane walked up to him. "You okay?"

"N-No…" the pilot rasped. "I… Did you see the news?"

His father nodded. "Yes. I did. You… You did a good thing, even if it was useless in the end." A small smile crossed his face. "That…I'm proud of you for."

"But how? I just failed to save someone's life, and the warlord's on top of it!" Steven protested.

"I know. But the action is what counts," Radar said as he stepped up to them. "I saw it all on TV. And I have to admit, your actions moved quite a few people." His dark blue eyes were locked onto the pilot's brown eyes as he spoke. "Very few people have the guts to do what you just did. And that is what made them turn to you."

"But you guys said it yourselves! I'm a lousy leader!" Steven insisted, waving a hand in protest.

"Yes, but under normal circumstances," Radar pointed out. He folded his muscular arms and leaned against the wall of the house, his shaggy hair hiding one of his eyes a bit before he blew it away. "Under circumstances like these… that's when you really shine." A smile crossed his face as he said this.

Steven looked at Wingma, whose face had a smile on it as well. "That one day those Fearow attacked my family when we were on vacation… remember that?"

The pilot nodded. "Yeah. So?"

"That day you insisted that we get to shelter and you drove them off with your plane's fertilizer," Wingma pointed out. "That was something. And after that, you helped us get the house repaired."

Steven looked down, his eyes locking onto the ground for a moment.

So what if he had failed to save someone's life? He could always try again… right?

But… What if he failed again? That was what niggled at his brain. He still needed some time to think.

He turned and headed back into the house, closing the door behind him and putting a hand to his head, ducking his head as his shoulders shook. He could feel the wetness of tears as he cried, and he knew at once he was not cut out for this.

Yet, what would people think if he didn't step up?

His mind was in turmoil once again, and he knew he had to make a choice.

But which was the right one?

He just didn't know. It wasn't like he was supposed to do this. Even so, someone needed to lead Aurora. And from the looks of things, it seemed like there was only one choice to make.

And… it was the only option left.

The world needed hope. And Ransei was going to _be_ that very hope.

* * *

**August 18**

The next day was a mess still as people started to gather around the nearest satellite TV, its screen still flickering as the static began to clear. The news reporter for the Aurora Broadcasting Commission came on, his eyes filled with grief and loss. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"_People of Aurora…_

"_As of yesterday evening, our warlord, Greg Hansen, fell in battle against a Gyrados that threatened the capital city. He fought valiantly, only to be assisted in his final hours by two brave pilots as they engaged the Pokemon in a vicious fight. The Gyrados was drawn off by one of the pilots, only for the other one to land and try to save his life when he was crushed to death by falling debris._

"_Our kingdom has for decades relied upon the guidance of not just our warlord, but the Councilors and advisors he has amassed to slowly transfer us over to a democracy. He was determined to ensure it happened in his lifetime, but now…_

"_Now we seek a new warlord, one who will fulfill his wishes and enable us to thrive in this new world. Our choices were limited, but one of them stood out to us. That man… the pilot who risked his life to save our warlord. He was to be our next warlord, but he turned it down, giving himself time to think. Only recently did we get a call from him, stating that he would step up to the task before us. So, in spite of everything, we would like you to accept the inauguration of Steven "Spray" Krane as our new warlord._"

The speech was simple, and no real fanfare was given.

But the meaning hit home.

A new warlord had been chosen.

As soon as the screen went dead, people all looked over at where the young man sat on the porch, looking down at the ground. He didn't look like a warlord, but there was something about him that some found interesting. It wasn't the way he looked, nor was it the way he spoke. It was the way he carried himself, and the way his actions spoke a lot about his character. A man like that was someone worthy of being a warlord.

Even if he didn't act like it.

In fact, he seemed to be burdened by this new responsibility.

The way his shoulders sagged was proof of this. He closed his eyes, feeling as if the heaviness were real. He stood up, and turned to face the people of his subdivision, people he had known for a long time.

"Guys…"

Everyone looked at him as he began speaking. "I… I honestly don't know what possessed me to do this, but… the truth is, I just don't know if I'm ready for this job. I'd rather much be flying my plane and enjoying spending time with my friends in the air, but right now… that's not happening.

"I'm also kind of scared of what may happen if I fail to live up to the people's expectations. I… I've never done anything like this before in my life, even if I did save some lives prior to this," he said. "I… I just want to have this end. All this suffering. I'm willing to work with you to make this happen. But I need your help. I can't do it alone. I'm new to this! So, I'm asking you to not have high expectations of me, and to help me when I need it. Everyone…"

He bowed his head. "I'm begging you…"

A large man in his late fifties stood up from his bench, his cigarette hanging between his lips. "Kid, I ain't one to have high expectations for anybody. I'm just a person trying to live my life. And if ye're needed, then I'm willing to help."

"Spray, we're here for you," Wingma said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll support you every step of the way," Mrs. Krane remarked.

Radar clapped a hand onto his back. "We're with you all the way."

Zippy jumped up and down, his red hair bobbing in the dim light, making Steven – no, Spray! – chuckle. "Yay! Go for it!" he chirped.

Another man stood up. "Well, you're a good kid, Steven. And if this is what ya gotta do, then well, go for it," he said.

Slowly, one by one, everyone stood up, offering words of support and encouragement. Spray was shocked by this. He hadn't expected people to even be supportive of him! He only thought that they'd be indifferent, or at the very worst, rude and trying to put him down.

He felt tears coming to his eyes at the thought of all his friends supporting him and encouraging him. And they didn't even care if he failed or not. They were willing to give him a chance, and that was enough to move him to tears. He felt a smile come to his face as he looked at all of them.

"Guys… I don't know what else to say… other than thank you for supporting me. I… I don't know how good a warlord I'll be, but I'll give it my damn best shot! And I'm gonna make you all proud!" he said. "And I won't let this try to stop me! But most of all, I'm gonna fight to make a better future for our world!"

"For the future of our world!" several people chanted.

"Yeah!"

* * *

Kyou sighed in relief as he saw the subdivision coming into view. Having finally lost the blue haired man and his Gyrados a few hours ago, he felt like he needed some time to rest and recover from this incident.

The helicopter was on its last legs when he touched down, the landing gear seeming to collapse beneath the aircraft as soon as the rotors came to a stop. Blaze was out first, followed by Kyou not even a moment too soon. The lights were on in several homes still, which was a good sign in that some people were trying to get electricity back to the area.

What he did _not_ expect was to see a few people talking with Steven as he approached.

"Steven? What's going on?" he asked.

The black-haired pilot turned, his eyes widening at seeing Kyou back with his partner.

"Kyou? Where were ya?" he asked.

"I had to lose that man and his Gyrados. Believe me, it wasn't easy," Kyou replied.

Steven pursed his lips and frowned. "I know. But there's one thing that's bugging me. Just who is that guy, and why did he suddenly attack Auroros like that?"

Kyou shrugged. "No clue, but whatever his motives were, it's clear that he's a threat."

Steven nodded, his eyes hard. "And he's one we gotta watch out for."

The other man nodded. "Right. So, what's the deal here? What's with all these people talking to you?"

Steven quickly filled him in and Kyou was shocked by the sudden news. The fact that he had chosen to be called by his nickname was one thing he understood, but the information that he was now the warlord of Aurora? That was something he needed some time to accept. From what he knew of the man, Steven, or Spray as he now preferred to be called, wasn't very social, only having three best friends. And yet, at times he did seem to take charge when it was needed.

So, he didn't see why he couldn't give him a chance.

"Okay. But you're gonna need a second-in-command," Kyou said, a smirk crossing his face.

"Thanks, Kyou. I could use all the help I can get," Spray said.

The two men nodded and clasped hands.

"Don't forget us!" Wingma said as she placed her hand on top, followed by Zippy and Radar. "We're all in this together!"

"Fine by me," Kyou shrugged. "The more the better."

Spray nodded and the five shook their hands, sealing the deal.

Now, Aurora had a chance.


	4. First Days

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokemon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokemon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokemon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

The Ransei Chronicles

Book One: What I've Done

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokemon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokemon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokemon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokemon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'****Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokemon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokemon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontatine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokemon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done **

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokemon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokemon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

Chapter 3: First Days

**Urathos, Aurora – 19 August**

Spray woke to the faint smell of charred flesh permeating the air of the house and he gagged, feeling his stomach lurch. He got out of his temporary bed and groaned as he got to his feet, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

He staggered to the window and looked out, only to see the bodies of several dead Fearow being cooked on fires that now spawned up in the darkened street. He could see a few people working to check on their new food source and some were gathering water from busted pipes that stuck up from a nearby construction site. It reminded him briefly of the old days when people were wandering the land, trying to find places to establish communities, and he grimaced, tearing his eyes away from the sight.

He headed for the front door and exited onto the porch, running a hand through his black hair and adjusting his aviator's visor. He hadn't even really changed his clothes because of all the events happening so far. He shot a glance down at his bandaged hands, flexing them. He still couldn't believe that he had even accepted the proposal to be warlord. It made him sick to his stomach thinking about it.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, looking away from his bandaged hands.

First things first. They needed to get the community back together, and then they could worry about Aurora.

The pilot looked back up and his friends ran over at seeing him emerge from the house. Wingma was the first one to reach him, her grey-blue eyes filled with relief.

"Spray!" she called.

Spray blinked his eyes and smiled in relief at seeing her as well. "Wingma!"

The others arrived shortly after, and Radar was the first one to speak directly to him. "About time, Spray," he said.

"What's going on?" the pilot asked.

Radar looked back at the smoke still curling skyward, his dark blue eyes hard as he narrowed them. "Long story short, we got trouble coming," he said.

"What kind of trouble?" Spray wondered.

The big man merely handed him his smartphone. "See for yourself."

Spray took it and noticed that the screen displayed a map of Aurora, and over the speakers he heard the voice of the announcer. "…_incoming hordes of Pokemon from other areas of the region. We're unsure as to whether or not we can even hold them off at this point in time, but the first priority is to reestablish and maintain the defensive lines until further notice. As to whether or not they are threatening other human lives directly, so far there have been no further reports coming in from other kingdoms in the region. Further updates will be reported as more information comes in._"

The screen switched off and Spray handed the phone back to Radar.

"We're talking a massive invasion. And after the attack two days ago, the defensive lines won't hold for much longer," Radar said grimly.

Spray pursed his lips. "Any other contact from the rest of the kingdom?" he asked.

Wingma shook her head. "No. All landlines have been cut and satellite communications are still spotty at best." She sighed heavily. "We're on our own here."

Spray finally looked around, his eyes widening as he realized the truth. Right now, Aurora was in a bad situation, and with no one to effectively lead them, even if he was warlord, the whole kingdom was falling apart. In effect, the attack had cut off the kingdom's communities, and with only spotty satellite communications, they were almost isolated from one another.

This was the worst case scenario anyone could have imagined.

Radar sensed the panic beginning to form in the air as the words started to resonate out, the situation becoming more and more terrible with each person that said they were doomed. His teeth gritted and he looked up, his dark blue eyes hard. He grabbed a nearby megaphone someone had dumped in the initial panic and held it up to his mouth.

"_ENOUGH!_" he barked, his amplified voice booming out over the crowds.

People looked at him like he was nuts as he stood up and walked over to a nearby car, standing on top of it with the megaphone held in his hands.

"_Just shut the fuck up, will you?!_" he shouted. "_There is no way we're going to let this stop us, are we?!_"

"How can we do anything?!" a man yelled. "We have no way of getting in contact with the rest of Aurora or Ransei! There's nothing we can do! This is the end, and you know it!"

"_Who said anything about this being the end?!_" Radar cried. "_Look, if there's anything that Warlord Hansen said is that we're not going to allow the Apocalypse to rule our lives! Think about what our children will inherit if we let this go on! Do you want that!? How many of you want your children to die in this Arceus-forsaken wasteland?!_"

People began to look at one another, murmurs whispering through the crowd, but no one really wanted to step forward. The atmosphere was still tense, and Radar could see that. He gritted his teeth a bit more, his mind racing. He raised the megaphone again and spoke once more.

"_I know that things don't look good, but if you think about it, have we ever let things like this stop us before? Historically Ransei has always been at war, and Aurora has been able to come out on top of things not because of our defensive lines or even our warlord, but because we had something that kept us going in dark times: hope and the ability to endure and adapt! We have to adapt to this new world, but not let it engulf us in fear and terror! Rather, we should do as our former warlord said: stand up to this and become a beacon of hope! We will make this nation better, and we _will_ show the one who did this a thing or two about humanity's resilience and determination!_"

His chest was heaving a bit as he panted. He had no idea if he was getting through to them, but he had to keep trying. He was not a good speaker or orator, but that wasn't the issue here. The real issue was trying to convince people that they could see the light in this dark world.

"_Look. I don't expect you to follow Spray as your warlord, and in fact, I highly doubt that we'll be able to make Aurora a place that even remotely resembles how it was just a few days ago,_" he continued. "_But that's not the point. The point is we have to adapt, move on, and become something better than this wasteland's creator would expect. We have to evolve in a sense, and we have to learn from this. We have to make our region a stronger nation than it was before this whole thing began. We have to unite Ransei and become one._"

"Yeah? And how do you expect to do that?!" a man from Almia shouted. His distinct Almian accent stood out in his anger and his reddish-brown hair seemed to be black in the dim light of the neighborhood. "Just travel the region, preaching about unity and standing up to this shit?" He waved a hand as if to emphasize his point. "Just forget it! The world is –"

He was suddenly cut off as someone else got involved, holding up a pipe and slamming it on the car Radar stood on. The person who slammed the pipe was none other than Spray.

"I can't believe you guys!" he shouted. "I… As much as I hate to admit it, this is not a dream, and this is indeed real! We _have no choice_ in the matter! We _have_ to adapt if we're gonna even stand a chance at surviving this hellhole!"

"Like you'd even understand, _Warlord!_" the Almia native snarled.

"You think I don't understand?!" Spray roared. "Look around you! This is what the one who did this wants! That person or whatever _wants_ us to become this way! They want us to struggle, to become divided, and to suffer! They _want us to be nothing more than scavengers and savages!_ And I don't want that! I hate this world! I hate it just like all of you! But I say that we should stand up to this darkness! I don't want us to live like that! I want to make a better world than that! And if I have to learn to live in this hellhole, then I will!"

His eyes were hard as he got up beside Radar, holding the pipe in his hand still. "Look! I may not like this world, but it's all we've got now! We're not doomed! None of us are! We have a chance! We just have to _take_ that chance and keep fighting for it! We have a chance to do some good by showing that humans and Pokemon can still live in harmony! We have the opportunity to make a nation that will last even longer than the Age of Tanaka did three thousand years ago!" he cried. "And I'm not going to let this apocalyptic wasteland take that from me! I'm not sure about all of you, but me and my friends… we're gonna fight and try to show the world that we are better than this! Aurora is better than this! _Ransei_ is better than this! We are _not savages or barbarians!_ So, if you want to live like that, then fine! But anyone else with half a brain would stand up and say no to this new way of life! If we're to prove the bastard who did this to us wrong, then we have to retain our way of life as a civilized kingdom, as a region of civilization! We have to become a nation to prove them wrong!"

His words were starting to have an effect on people. The only question was how much of an effect…

* * *

A few communities over, people were starting to gather, their eyes looking for any sign of hope or rescue. The entire community was devastated, being one of those that had borne the brunt of the attack. Due to its close proximity to the defensive walls, the town had initially survived the first few minutes before debris and rubble crushed many of the people and the buildings. So now they were not only mourning the loss of their loved ones, they were trying to comfort and console those that were trapped there with no way to reach their homes outside of Ransei.

The first message reached Urathos within two hours, around the same time Spray and Radar were trying to appeal to the populace of the community. Their efforts were cut off as someone looked up, his eyes wide.

"Holy…!" the man breathed. He got to his feet and grabbed a sheet of paper, rolling it into a makeshift megaphone and getting up beside the two men.

"Everyone, just for God's sake listen! We're all squabbling and arguing like pointless children when there are people who are dying and suffering a lot worse than us all over Aurora and the world! Is that what you want? Do you _want_ it to be survival of the fittest?!" the man yelled, his eyes hard.

"But, isn't that how it was before?!" the Almia native snarled back.

"NO! IT WASN'T LIKE THAT TO BEGIN WITH!" the man roared, his powerful voice booming out over the gathered crowd. While not like Radar's voice in terms of loudness, the way he spoke was what caught their attention. "So what?! Look! The world wasn't perfect, but it was sure as hell less dangerous than this! But did that make the world before peaceful? NO! We all had stuff to deal with, and in fact, it was just _as_ dangerous! The only difference? Our Pokemon were not attacking us!"

He looked at each of the other two men, and nodded at them to continue speaking.

Radar seized his chance and looked back at the crowd who was now looking at them with attention.

"He's right!" Radar continued. "Our main priorities should not be survival of the fittest! In fact, that's the _last_ thing that should be on our minds! We have to focus on getting Aurora back on its feet and then helping others! Our founder's words are never truer than now: We must become the light in the world's darkest hours! We _have to make a stand against the darkness!_"

"And forget about that shit that the world is fucked over!" Spray added, his brown eyes hard. "Face it! We're all in this together, not just as a town, but as a kingdom and as a nation! We are not fighting against one another for what scraps are left! There's still much that we can do, and much that is left behind! We are still in business! We can still live like civilized human beings! And that is what we should do! Help others get back on their feet and make sure that we can stand up to whatever is thrown our way in this new world order!" His grip tightened on the pipe as he looked at them. "So, if you feel that it should be survival of the fittest, then get the hell out of Aurora and go live in the wild! If you feel that we should take a stand and rebuild, then raise a hand and say so!"

For a long while, no one made a move. Some people looked at one another before standing up and heading off. Spray growled a bit. He could see that some of them just wouldn't listen.

He half expected the others to do the same, but much to his surprise, many didn't even budge. No one else did. Instead, a good two thirds of those remaining raised their hands and stood up before lowering them.

He stared in shock before he turned to face the man beside him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The man was in his late thirties and had messy red hair with green eyes which contrasted his lighter skin, a sign he was from the northern regions of Ransei. He wore a blue headband with a Poké Ball symbol on it and his shirt was black with a white vest and grey shorts. He wore mud stained sneakers on his feet and on his back was a hiker's backpack. He turned to face Spray and smirked.

"The name's Harold. Harold Warson," he said, holding out a hand.

Spray took it. "Spray Krane."

Radar nodded. "The name's Radar Harrison," he said, grasping their clasped hands.

"You need any help?" Harold asked.

Spray nodded. "Sure do. Is your kingdom safe?" he asked.

Harold shook his head. "No. Sorry. I lost contact with them when all Hell broke loose. But that's beside the point. The point is I'm willing to assist you any way I can," he said.

"What are you good at?" Radar asked.

"You'll see soon," Harold said with a wink. "Right now, we got a kingdom to rebuild!"

Spray smiled, feeling like maybe for once they did have a chance in this new world. He turned to face the crowd, his confidence returning. "All right, people! Let's get what we can and start trying to rebuild our community! Then we'll spread out and give others the help they need!"

Everyone nodded and slowly, but surely, the process of rebuilding the kingdom began.

* * *

Day turned into night and slowly, people began to wander the streets, seeking shelter or looking for help as thunderclouds began to roll in, the rain soaking them to the bone and making them shiver against their will. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flashed, throwing the area into luminescence and people gaped at just how bad the destruction really was.

The rain eased the fires in many of the communities and allowed people to get precious water. Some people began to scavenge up buckets and some even tried to make water catchers. Their efforts were in vain though as there wasn't enough to go around. Children began to wail as finally the dampness of their clothing turned to cold and their mothers sought to comfort them as best they could.

Men and women alike began to try and clear the roads with their bare hands, but to no avail. The rubble was just too thick. They began to wonder if this was the Fate that Arceus had assigned them. Some even began to wonder if the rest of the world had been destroyed. If so, what had they done wrong to cause such a Fate to befall them? Was there any hope of redemption, and if so, what could they do to redeem themselves? Go back to a simpler time? One where man was just a scavenger and a savage?

Some men and women thought so and slowly they began planning to start their lives anew as primitive hunters. They sought sharpened objects and began to strip themselves to bare flesh, hoping to seek human prey to clothe their now naked bodies.

Evening turned out to be a time of hell for those still wanting to hold on in the face of certain defeat.

Those that returned to a life of hunters fled, setting up a tribe just outside the community of Herios to start their new lives. They stopped referring to the town as their home and started calling themselves the Tribe of the Phoenix God. The town became a war zone in just one night, forced to fight off these new tribesmen and tribeswomen to defend their home and loved ones. Men and women alike took up arms and a few Pokémon from the nearby woods offered to assist them, some of the combatants forming Links and becoming partnered to them.

Bullets and attacks were exchanged with arrows and spears, fired and thrown from the new Tribe next door to them. But a good majority of the Pokémon that lived in the woods were now fighting against both sides of humans, leading to the town getting decimated even further as their attacks wiped out several remaining buildings.

The next day was a time of recuperation for all three sides.

As the sun poked through the remains of the devastated town, some people began to gather and assess the damage. The destruction was immense, and some people were left without their homes or even anything. Others were more than willing to open their homes or whatever they had left to those with nothing, and the community started to band together.

The morning hours were devoted to recovering the bodies of the dead and trying to arm the town against the Tribe that sought them for clothing and sustenance. But as they day wore on, it became clear that their efforts were not going to be enough. They needed help, and they knew it.

Thankfully, help was on its way.

Some people were still able to receive messages from friends and family across the kingdom and the region, so they were the ones to turn to for information. And one of those people happened to have a relative in Urathos who was one of those new charged with clearing the roads.

The message came through within minutes of having been sent.

It was short, but the meaning was clear.

_We're coming. Help is on the way._

The words were enough to rally people to stand ready. A few others started to modify their trucks or cars for hauling debris aside. Those that were able to started making makeshift cranes to drop it onto flatbeds made out of concrete or slabs of wood tied together and mounted on wheels. Those with heavy-duty trucks were hooked up to each slab in groups of two or three, and slowly the back-breaking labor began.

It was taking them a long time to clear the main street, but at least progress was being made.

As the sun set, work halted and people retreated to the safety of the town's ruins to set up defenses against the Tribe of the Phoenix God and the wild Pokémon who deemed them to be a threat. People who had guns took up positions near the borders of the town and those with Pokémon set up positions long range for sniping or just covering fire.

The moon poked through the tattered clouds overhead and the first of the Tribesmen and Tribeswomen lunged forth from the shadows, attacking the defenders of the town with a ferocity unheard of in modern man. The stress of the last few days, coupled with the overwhelming realization that they were now on their own had caused those who now made up the Tribe of the Phoenix God to slowly go insane, and now they were living it.

The defenders fought with a determination unlike them, which surprised all of them, including those who weren't actively participating.

The children and elderly and injured huddled behind their shelters of debris and rubble, watching in awe, shock, and horror at the bullets and attacks meeting with arrows and thrown spears. The ruins offered the defenders a much better position from which to fight, keeping the attackers at bay. Both human and Pokemon alike began to die from their wounds.

The battle lasted for a few hours before the Tribe and the wild Pokemon were forced to withdraw once more to reconsolidate and enhance their positions. But thankfully, it was not to be much longer they held out.

Help was just a few hours away.

* * *

The first few hours had been chaotic as people scrambled to get any and all possible earthmovers and construction vehicles up and running for use. Dump trucks and garbage trucks were also pressed into service to remove the debris and rubble that covered the roads in some spots.

Pokémon and people alike volunteered to assist in the task of marking the path ahead. Kyou was one of those who ventured on ahead, leaving behind bright red marks with paint so as to leave a trail for the others to follow. He and Blaze stopped to mark debris piles before skirting around them and moving on ahead, using Spray's bike to make progress.

Spray had given the two a few extra gallons of gas to fill up the bike with, so they were good to go as they weaved and skirted around debris and marked other piles for clearance. Kyou eventually had to stop and set up a camp with Blaze for the evening, only to resume early in the morning the task he had been assigned.

They came across one other town which had cleared a path to the road as well, using a large earthmover and several trucks equipped with plows, along with a train that ran right to Auroros, again, equipped with a plow for clearing dirt and debris off the tracks. The train driver and the engineer agreed to make a run to Auroros and possibly any other towns or cities along the tracks, clearing them out so as to allow their train lines to get back up and running.

That was one of the biggest advantages so far, and another town they came across had managed to get their docks up and running for transporting and hauling debris and rubble to a nearby island on the river for dumping. They agreed to assist, and with their help, the progress increased. Now, the last few days had seen enormous progress on clearing the main roads to the town of Herios.

Spray stood on top of the bulldozer as the crews worked to remove the debris and rubble while filling in what spots they could with soil and/or other rock piles. His brown eyes were hard as he looked ahead, his visor shielding his eyes from the dust and fine powder that stung at the eyes of the others.

Kyou grunted as he looked down at several other Pokémon and their Warrior partners working to move aside some debris. He shot a glance back at the way they had come and he smiled a bit.

The road in back of them wasn't fully cleared, but at least a path had been made to allow supply trucks and others to pass through the rubble to any other communities they encountered along the way. The biggest need was for medical supplies and food and water. The lighter trucks were to carry the wounded as well back to makeshift hospitals for treatment until the main ones could be up and running.

Other vehicles were instructed to stay in the convoy until further notice.

As they made their way to the town, Spray's eyes widened as he heard the distinct cries of battle echoing in the distance.

"Dammit!" he swore.

"What's happening?" one of the other drivers said as she peeked out the window of her truck.

Spray opened his mouth to speak, only for his phone to beep and he grabbed it, checking the caller ID. It was Kyou. He pressed the talk button and at once Kyou's voice came over the speakers.

"_Spray, it's Kyou!_" he said.

"What's the situation?" Spray asked.

"_It's the town at the end of this road! It's under attack by Pokémon and a bunch of people who have apparently lost it!_" the man said. The drone of the bike's engine came over the phone, followed by a loud sound that was no doubt an explosion, backed up by several swears. "_They call themselves the Tribe of the Phoenix God!_"

"Shit!"

"_We need backup! Get down here stat!_" With that the line went dead and Spray turned to face one of the other drivers.

"Hey! I need a lift!" he cried.

The entire city was a mess as Kyou swerved the bike through the outskirts of the ruins. His blue eyes hardened as he gritted his teeth and hunched over, the wind whipping at his hair and blowing it out behind him. His white jacket was dirty from having been knocked off a few moments prior to contacting Spray, and his partner was just as tense; he could feel the nervousness and anticipation through the Link.

"Okay, Blaze! Jump!" Kyou ordered.

The Blaziken nodded and leapt off the bike, landing on top of a half-destroyed store and leaping to the next rooftop. He jumped onto an apartment complex that was missing half its southern wall and several holes in the roof, taking care to avoid falling inside.

The Pokémon was worried as he finally inched closer to one of the roof edges and peered over, his mind racing.

His eyes widened as he gaped in shock at the large number of humans huddling behind some overturned cars and a half-destroyed school bus, wild Pokémon unleashing their attacks on the crowd. But what really shocked him to his core was the group of men and women clad in nothing but their bare flesh, attacking from the shadows to strike at the weak and helpless among the defending humans.

His eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth and leapt off, landing on the ground and powering up a Fire Punch attack. Blaze let loose, punching the closest Pokémon that leapt out of the shadows, claws seething with dark power. The punch connected squarely with the attacker's face, burning it to nothing more than a mere mess of charred and melted flesh. The Pokémon fell down, dead from the shock and pain of the blow to the face.

Blaze looked back at the other humans with no clothing on and glared at them, his eyes as hard as ice. The humans backed off, but a few launched into an offensive pattern, forcing him to grab a slab of metal and hold it like a shield, charging and ramming into them with the full force of a battering ram. The impact jarred them and forced them to drop their spears and arrows and bows, but not to back off without a fight.

The humans of the Tribe started to chant and dance like savages, the burning fires of the town behind them adding to the mood. Even Blaze felt a chill of fear slither down his spine.

His eyes hardened as he clenched both fists. '_All right! No holding back!_' he thought. But as he looked back at the huddled humans, and at how close they were, he realized that he would _have_ to hold back, otherwise he could kill them. And that he didn't want.

"C'mon… C'mon!" he muttered, although to human ears his words sounded like his species name. And even then the Link only allowed emotions to be felt, along with vague images of the feeling.

A loud screech from above caught his attention and his gaze shot skyward, only to have his heart leap into his throat at the sight of a small flock of Pidgeot attacking from the air. Blaze growled as he crouched and leapt up to the roof of a hotel before firing off a barrage of Fire Punches. A good majority of the punches missed, but some did hit the bird Pokémon and sent them crashing to the ground below, forcing some people to withdraw into their damaged homes to escape the falling bodies.

The damaged houses weren't able to withstand much more he could see. So he had to make sure to avoid hitting them and harming the people inside. Blaze landed on the ground and spun around, grabbing another Pidgeot by the neck and with one quick snap, broke the Pokémon's neck before dumping the body on the ground. "Okay… One down… who knows how many more to go!" he muttered to himself.

* * *

Spray yelped as the four-wheeler jerked over a log and he grumbled as he rubbed his sore backside. "Dammit!"

"Hey! This was the fastest thing I could get at such short notice!" the driver snapped as she looked back. "So stop complaining!"

"It's not that! Can't you at least be more careful?" he shot back.

The driver snorted, but complied and eased up on the throttle, but still maintained a fast rate of travel. She peeked back out of the corner of her eye. "You sure about this though? We're going right into a hellhole."

"Can't be any worse than the hellhole we're in right now," Spray remarked dryly as he grabbed the rifle he had been issued. He checked the ammo and nodded once he was sure it was loaded.

"Well, you do have a point on that," the driver said grimly with a bit of a smirk as she swerved around some collapsed rubble from a nearby food market.

Spray's eyes picked out the fires raging along with some fireballs streaking skyward, and he knew at once that it had to be Blaze. And where Blaze was, Kyou wasn't far behind; such was the nature of the Link.

He tapped the driver and pointed in the direction of the fireballs and she nodded, pouring on the speed once they came to a relatively clear street. Ahead he could see the burning fires along with some people huddling behind debris and at once they knew they had reached the town.

The man leapt off the ATV and landed on his feet. At once he noticed the pavement was buckled and torn here and there by the battle, and some pipes were broken, steam and water gushing out of them as he worked his way through the debris. But that was nothing compared to the battlefield located in the center of town. The entire square was a mess of debris and destroyed buildings looming on either side of it, some cars still visible amidst the rubble of the Apocalypse.

Spray shuddered as he inched through the debris field, only to come face-to-face with one of the Tribe of the Phoenix God.

The man was clad in nothing but bare skin and he had tribal markings adorning his body, a large feather from a Fearow perched on his head, held in place by a headband. His eyes were wild and he held in his hands a spear. He said nothing, but let out a battle cry as he charged at Spray.

The new warlord leapt to the side and swung his rifle about, trying to hit the man in the head with the butt. He didn't want to kill, but he felt that sooner or later he'd have to make a choice. The Tribesman dodged the blow and swung his spear, trying to impale Spray through the chest. But the man growled and ducked the blow, his hair getting ruffled by the breeze. Spray whipped his foot about and connected solidly with the man's sternum, knocking him back a few feet before he looked up, screaming in fury.

Spray's eyes hardened as he hefted his rifle. "Okay. You want to fight, then I'll fight!"

The Tribesman attacked again, running and thrusting his spear towards Spray's neck. But Spray twisted his body to the side and his shoulder got grazed by the tip of the spear, drawing blood. He looked at it with a hard gaze before he shot his glare back to the Tribesman. The pilot's mind was on overdrive as he spun around, his fist clenching and firing off a punch that hit the Tribesman right in the face and sent him staggering back, rubbing at his jaw. A bit of blood dribbled down the side of his mouth, but he didn't care as he ran towards the pilot with his spear above his head.

A sudden blast of fire and wind caught his attention and he spun his body to the side as the attack connected with his opponent, burning him to a crisp. Spray looked back and he felt his stomach lurch.

Blaze was the first to emerge from the smoke of the nearby fires.

"Spray? You okay, dude?" Kyou's voice asked.

Spray's head snapped towards one of the ruins as Kyou emerged from behind it, holding a pipe in one hand and a battered plank in the other. "Kyou!" he cried.

As the young man approached, he nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting this," he said, looking back at the naked Tribespeople mixed in with the fighting of the wild Pokémon and humans.

"Yeah. Sorry I forgot to warn you. But some people honestly might lose it in this world," Kyou said grimly. "Those people… are just some of them. We may encounter more, but these are the worst I feel we'll face."

"I sure hope we don't run into more people like them…" Spray murmured as he spotted a Tribesman slinking off with an armful of skins. His skin crawled and the man hissed as he spied Steven eyeing him.

"Well, forget it. We'll deal with them as the time comes. For now, we gotta get these people out of here and linked up with the rest of us," Kyou said as he tossed the two makeshift weapons aside and headed over to where the woman sat on her ATV. "The bike's yours, anyway."

Spray nodded as he approached and mounted the bike.

* * *

**Herios, Aurora – August 22**

The battle ended as the sun peeked over the horizon, the start to a new day. The Tribesmen and Tribeswomen had retreated during the night, as did the wild Pokémon once more forces arrived. The general in charge informed Spray that it would take a few weeks to a few years to round up the Tribe, and while he agreed to doing that, he gave strict orders to not kill unless attacked relentlessly.

The caravan had with them a few food trucks, so they were able to get some food to the people of the devastated town. As breakfast was dished out, Spray sat near his bike which was propped against the destroyed remains of one of the hotels there. The food truck closest to him was practically overwhelmed, so he had to make do with a few provisions someone had thoughtfully handed out to him.

He studied the plate in front of him, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Stumped, Spray?"

The pilot looked up, his eyes locking onto Kyou's. "Oh, hey, Kyou," he murmured. "Yeah. I am stumped. I mean, I know we have to get Aurora back on its feet, but… how can we?"

The other man sat down beside him, studying the horizon. "Well, for one thing, we gotta try and keep on getting the kingdom back on track. Reopening roads, clearing them of debris and rubble, getting food and supplies back to the towns… It's a lot of work. But someone has to do it," he said.

Spray nodded. "I know. But… how can we? It just seems impossible now…"

Kyou pursed his lips. "Spray, it may seem like it, but nothing is impossible. Lord Ryuubi didn't give up when he united Ransei, didn't he?"

His companion's eyes went wide. "What's that got to do with this?" he asked, sweeping an arm around at the destroyed town and out to the devastated kingdom. "I mean, back then, the whole world wasn't in the embrace of the Apocalypse, right?"

The other man sighed. "Look. It may not have been the same, but the idea was sound. Unite Ransei and forge a nation that was the envy of the world. Not in a bad way though," he explained. "And that's what we gotta do here. It may take time, time we surely don't have, but we have to try. The whole world is counting on us, and Warlord Hansen ordered us to do just that before he died. And you said it yourself. You're willing to try and end this. So why give up now?"

"I'm not giving up!" Spray snapped as he got to his feet. "I just need to know what to do next!"

Kyou snorted. "Yeah, right. Looks like you're giving up to me."

Spray snarled, but said nothing.

The other man looked back at him. "But… since you asked, the next logical step would be to get more people working on clearing out debris and rubble. Fixing roads and buildings can wait. Reopening them is top priority. And second, we have to work on getting some sense of order back into things. We need a functioning government. And not just a warlord. I don't know if the Council survived, or if any of the advisors did. So we need to forge a new government," he explained.

The pilot's eyes widened in confusion. "You serious?" he blurted.

Kyou nodded. "Yes. I am. A government that will embody what our warlords have striven for all these years. A government that will also stand for what we're fighting for. A government people can trust in. We need that, Spray. It'll be hard, but we will get it done."

Spray nodded, feeling unsure about this still. After what he had seen, he wasn't sure if he was ready for this kind of responsibility. Still, he had to try.

He had to.

For the sake of everyone in Ransei.


	5. Uncertainty

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokémon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokémon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokemon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

* * *

**The Ransei Chronicles**

**Book One: What I've Done**

* * *

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokemon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokemon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokemon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokemon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokemon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokemon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontatine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokemon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done**

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokemon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokemon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Uncertainty**

**Herios, Aurora – 22 August**

**1500 hours**

" – _and the battles continue to rage as the wild Pokémon continue to attack the cities. Already many people have died in the ensuing struggles, and some Pokémon have even started to kill one another. The Pokémon researchers and professors that have survived what the world's leaders are now calling the Undampening all agree that the natural balance has been upset by whatever caused this phenomenon in the first place. But as to why it happened, no one has any answers, let alone any theories. All we can do is try to survive in this new world and adapt…_"

Spray growled as he heard the news broadcast over a still functioning radio perched on the floor of the destroyed home he stood in. He tore his gaze from the object lying on the ground and looked around him, his eyes taking in the sight of the devastated town.

Buildings were destroyed and holes had been torn in a few of their upper stories, exposing them to the elements. A few curtains fluttered a bit as the wind brushed them as gently as a child's fingers on cloth. In the middle of the streets were destroyed and overturned cars, craters pockmarking the pavement and sidewalks. A few trees lay on the ground, torn free by their roots during the battle and further up from his location, located near the town square, power lines lay across the main street, preventing people from coming and going down that direction. Several water mains had burst, so water gushed out and turned the cracks in the streets into little rivers or streams. And some buildings were on fire from the attacks, sending thick smoke skyward. Bodies littered the streets, only adding to the grim apocalyptic air of the town with their gruesome injuries and the blood running down the streets to mix with the rivers of water.

This was not even the worst of it; the capital had it worse.

Still, the sight was enough to make him shudder. He turned his focus away from the town around him and back to his companions.

Kyou stood not too far off, his eyes locked onto the horizon. Smoke still curled above the area, and while not as bad as it was during the start of the Apocalypse, it was still pretty bad. His eyes were hard as he watched the thick columns. His hair was already a mess from the last few days, and his clothing was torn here and there, dirt messing up his face and mud coating his pants and jacket. A bit of stubble had already started forming on his face, but it didn't seem to bother him as much.

Spray took a chance to look at his own reflection in the remains of a mirror off to the side.

His own appearance wasn't that much better, but at least he was in somewhat a decent shape. His own hair was a bit messier than normal and he too had tears in his clothing. His skin hid the dirt a bit more than Kyou's, but still it stood out. But he also had those bandages on his hands still, blood seeping through them every now and then, turning the already brownish fabric a deeper reddish brown color. His boots were a mess as well, covered in dirt and blood from trying to assist the warlord in his final hours. He did have a bit of a five o' clock shadow, but it was very minor in comparison to Kyou's. He figured the other man had been wandering longer in the area before this whole thing broke out, and therefore hadn't had as much of a chance to shave.

But Spray brushed it aside as he tore his gaze from the mirror and walked up to stand beside Kyou.

"You doing okay?" Kyou asked. "Being thrust into such a position wasn't something you were expecting."

Spray shook his head as he looked down at his bandaged hands. "No… I'm not," he murmured.

"That's understandable," the other man said as he looked at him. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting this, either."

"You try being thrust into power as a warlord!" Spray hissed as he looked up into Kyou's blue eyes. "I… I never wanted it!"

"But you are. So just deal with it," Kyou growled.

"That's just it! I'm not used to this kind of responsibility! I'm afraid I might mess up and cause the whole region to fail! I… I just don't know if I can even do this!" Spray roared, clenching his fists and glaring at the other man.

Kyou snorted. "Look. We all have to deal with things we're not ready for. You think I was ready for this to happen? No. And look what happened! I adapted! And so should you!"

"That's basically what that guy from Hoehn said! 'The world's fucked over!' I… I am so sick and tired of all this depression and doom and gloom! I… I hate it! And I don't know if I can fix it! If I can change people's minds!" Spray yelled, waving an arm.

His eyes were hard as he glared at Kyou.

"Kid, look. Just because someone says the world's fucked over doesn't mean it is," Harold said as he stepped up to them.

Both men turned to face him. "How long were you standing there?" Spray asked harshly.

"Enough to overhear everything," Harold remarked. "And while I do agree with you, you also have to realize that Kyou does have a point. We all are sometimes thrust into something that we don't want. You may not like being a warlord, but the truth is it's happened. And I'm not trying to say what that guy from Hoehn said. In fact, it's the opposite. I'm saying the world still has a _chance_ to recover from this. Sure a lot of people died, and still are dying. But we, as a nation, can rebuild and recover. We can still save lives, and save the world from this fate, whatever it is. But we need someone to lead us. And while you may not like it, that person has to be you. Or someone else. But _someone_, regardless, has to be willing to step up to the plate and take the reins when no one else can."

Spray stared as Harold closed his eyes and sighed. "I just want you to know that you've got your friends and family to back you up. Don't think you're alone. And while others might not like the idea of you being in charge, you have to try and stay strong. For everyone," he said.

The pilot looked down, feeling a bit ashamed at what he was feeling. But he still didn't know if he could even do this.

"I… I just don't know if I can even do this…" he murmured.

"We'll support you. Just do what you can," Harold said with a smile.

Spray looked at him before he sighed. "All right. I'll try."

Harold clapped a hand to Spray's back and nodded. "Good."

He removed his hand and walked over to the nearest makeshift medical facility, which was really a restaurant with extra tables and people inside it. A few Chansey were on hand to assist, as were some human medics. Spray looked over at the facility, and he got up to walk over.

Kyou was surprised at this, but he said nothing as he joined the pilot.

Blaze was on guard duty here, which was a good thing as a few wild Pokémon had tried to attack during the daylight hours. The Blaziken had his eyes narrowed as he studied the wooded horizon for any Pokémon attempting to sneak past him and the human guards.

"Any sign of any wild Pokémon?" Kyou asked.

Blaze merely shook his head and his partner sighed in relief.

'_That's good…_' he thought to himself.

Spray on the other hand was watching as the men and women of the Aurora Defense Forces worked to try and help stabilize some of the victims of the attacks over the last few days. His brown eyes softened as he stared at a girl whose parents were killed, and she was sobbing near their dead bodies. He approached her and sat down beside her, the warmth of tears pricking at his eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she shot her gaze over to him before burying her face in his chest.

Spray was caught off guard, but he relented and wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back.

"I… I'm sorry…" was all he could say.

The girl's sobs became more pronounced as he held her close, closing his own eyes as his shoulders shook with unseen sobs.

The pilot felt the tears on his cheeks as he tried to keep himself from breaking down in front of everyone. He needed to be strong for them… No… for everyone.

But it was harder than it looked. Especially since he had to deal with trying to prevent such incidences now that he was the warlord.

And he hated the job.

Yet he had to do it. There was no one else at the moment.

Spray looked up at the sun poking through the columns of smoke now dissipating due to the winds and the rains over the last few days. The rays were gently touching the torn up earth and their light reached out to embrace the destroyed cities of the land. He wondered if there really was a God out there… and if that very God was punishing man for their actions. But if this was the way to go about it, then it was wrong.

And he was determined to try and prove it.

He finally removed his arms from around the girl's sobbing form and stood up, his hands clenching into fists as he looked back at the Aurora Defense Forces and the civilians that gathered close to the center of the destroyed community. He could see that many of them possessed injuries in one form or another, some with bandages and some without (for the minor ones).

His eyes narrowed as he walked over to where Harold stood, his eyes closed. He was currently leaning against a building and his arms were crossed over his chest. "You trying to figure out what to do next, kid?" he asked.

Spray nodded. "Yeah… I…"

"I can't tell you what to do, kid. That's up to you to determine. I already said this once before, but I'll say it again. Someone has to lead us. And right now, that person is you. You alone can determine your fate. No one else," Harold said as he opened his eyes. "All I can say is that your choices may affect the future. So you gotta make the right ones, even if they're the hard choices."

Spray looked down, his eyes misting up. "But… what if I screw up?" he murmured.

Harold said nothing as he closed his eyes again. "Your choice, your decisions. Not mine."

He leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. "Your choices, kid."

The pilot looked away, confusion still flooding his mind and features. Just what was he supposed to do now?

Spray turned and walked off, his mind drifting through the mists and thoughts of what happened over the last several days came to the fore of his mind. Just seeing the terror and chaos, the destruction caused by all this… The attacks, the screams, the gore, the bodies… it made him sick just thinking about it. And it was hard to believe that it only took place six days ago!

His very body began to shake as he closed his eyes, tears pricking at his face.

And that man… the one on the Gyrados… Did he have something to do with it? If so, what, and who was he?

Spray clenched his fists and suddenly whirled around, a scream escaping his throat as he punched a plasterboard wall, his fist going right through it. His shoulders shook as he stood there, tears streaming down his face, mixing with the dirt and sand coating his cheeks.

'_Why me?_' he cried in his thoughts. '_Why me?! Why'd I have to get roped into this!?_'

The sounds of the flames still licking at nearby buildings was broken only by the sounds of other people trying to help one another, Pokémon aiding their partners and the creak of partially decimated buildings.

He looked up, his eyes still shimmering with tears. His gaze drifted skyward, landing on the sun as it began to dip below the horizon, the light becoming dim as the smoke engulfed the rest of the community in ever encroaching blackness. He felt like it was truly a place of no hope, this world.

And yet, somehow people were still holding on to hope.

Against all the odds, they were somehow holding on despite the destruction and chaos around them.

But who knew for how long it would last?

* * *

_Further away from the community, a shape watches with a small smirk._

_The town has been destroyed and some have returned to a simpler time, a life of hunting and gathering._

_Yet others still cling to the modern era._

_The form snorts in disgust as it leans against a tree. "Fools… Such things won't last… Not as long as the Great One holds His word… And as long as the Fates point to the prophecy…"_

_The brush moves and a second shape, built like the first except in height, approaches out of the leaves, sword held in hand._

"_Ah. How goes the mission?" it asks._

_The first form growls. "Not well. Most of the Men continue to hold onto their arrogant, selfish ways… a foolish gesture on their part."_

_The second form narrows its eyes. "I see… And what of the Chosen One? Any sign of him?" the form asks softly._

"_No sign. He may come, or he may not. The Prophecy has not lied to us," the first form says as it brushes some hair aside. "And it never will."_

_The second form grins as it peers through the leaves of the brush. "Good. For soon we shall do battle with the Chosen One and he shall die… As foretold in prophecy."_

* * *

Kyou looked away from the townsfolk and over at where Spray sat on a pile of rubble, looking at the darkening sky. His brown eyes were a bit hollow, and a glazed look covered them partially. He didn't look like a warlord, nor did he act like one. Right now, he was still a kid, a kid who had been thrust into a position of responsibility he wasn't ready for.

And to be honest, if Kyou had been shoved into the same situation, he'd be feeling the same right about now.

The black-haired man closed his eyes and sighed, his mind now racing back to the situation at hand.

But one thing still bothered him.

Who had caused this, and why?

He finally stood up and made his way over to where Spray sat, looking down at the ground beneath his feet. Kyou plopped down next to the young man, his eyes hidden by his hair partially.

"You okay, kid?" he asked.

Spray shook his head. "No… I… I still can't believe that I was asked to be warlord, or that I even bothered to accept the position…" he murmured. "But… what else could I do?"

Kyou pursed his lips as he looked the youth in the eyes. "Spray, I know you're not ready for this, and to be honest, if I were in your situation, I'd feel the same way. But the fact is, it's happened, and you have to step up to the job at hand. The world is in a bad state, but it's not doomed. Not as long as people still have hope. And right now… we need you to be that hope."

"But how can I?!" Spray shouted as he finally got to his feet. "I… I don't even know what the hell I'm doing!"

"Well, if the fact that we got to this town intact is any indication, then you got to be doing something right!" Kyou snapped as he stood up as well.

Spray blinked, his eyes wide.

Kyou waved an arm around. "Look around you! The previous warlords didn't have the leadership needed to get people to this town unharmed, or even alive! You do! That's saying something, considering how you feel you're not ready for the task at hand!"

"That's because these people were dying!" Spray shot back.

"And that's precisely why you got us here! You don't want the world to die, right? Then start acting like a damn warlord and _lead_!" Kyou growled.

Spray's eyes widened a bit more.

"The world… will die…?" he asked in a whisper.

"I thought you knew that," Kyou said harshly.

"I… I just… How can the world die because of this event?!" Spray yelled, his voice catching the attention of a few other people, making them look at him.

"Look! Don't you see the destruction?!" Kyou shouted. "The world's going to die unless someone starts to do something and make this world a better place! Already many other regions have fallen, and many more will continue to fall unless we stand up against this and say enough is enough! You said so yourself!"

Spray looked down, the memories coming back to his mind.

He did remember. But how was he supposed to do so if he didn't know what to do?

That was the problem.

Right now he was lost, unsure of himself, and admittedly, he was terrified of the new world order.

But what was he supposed to do in order to stand up to it? Right now he couldn't even lead a small town!

He gritted his teeth and whirled around, punching the wall with his bare hand. "DAMMIT!" he roared. "I… I just don't know what to do! I'm so confused, and… I have no idea what I'm doing!"

Kyou watched impassively for a moment.

"Some warlord I'm turning out to be…" Spray muttered.

The other man finally stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Spray… we're all lost, uncertain, and even confused. But you have to admit that holding onto hope is the best bet we have at figuring this whole thing out."

"How can we even hold onto hope if we can't even hold onto our own world?" Spray muttered darkly. "There's just so much that's new and unpredictable…"

Kyou's eyes softened. "Spray… No one expected this. And most of all, we won't know what's coming next. We never will. But we can learn and adapt. We have to. For the future, of not just Ransei, but of this world, too. We want to retain our world, right? Then, we have to fight. For everyone's sake."

Spray knew he was right. But how was he supposed to rally a dividing kingdom, and a shattered region?

He had no idea that this next week would start him down that path to a better future for Ransei.

* * *

**Five Days Ago…**

Off to the north, the Kingdom of Ignis was in dire straits.

In particular the Zubat population.

The warlord was the first to notice the sudden increase in attacks on humans, which had been very rare prior to the Apocalypse. He was worried enough to call the best researchers in his kingdom to the palace so he could hold a council to see what the hell was happening.

Yet even the researchers were baffled by this sudden bloodlust in the Pokémon. All they could say was that it had to do with the sudden attacks on the cities and other kingdoms in the region. Only due to Ignis' close proximity to the volcanoes and the architecture of their buildings was the kingdom able to escape most of the initial destruction. But that was bound to change over time though. And the warlord wanted answers before it got to that point.

The sudden attack on one of his children was what prompted him to use the cameras to keep an eye on the volcanic activity for another purpose: observation and surveillance. The decision proved to be a sound one, and it revealed the horrifying spectacle that forever charred itself into his brain and mind. After that, he made the choice to send his troops abroad in the kingdom to protect the civilians from the many hungry Zubat that now roamed the countryside.

People were told to carry arms and armaments with them to try and keep the bloodthirsty vampire bat Pokémon at bay. Children were not allowed out after dark. Civilians must always have a weapon on them at all times. Pokémon Warriors were to avoid Linking with Zubat, or if they were partnered to the Pokémon in question, they were to keep a close eye on them.

The warlord's orders were carried out to the letter, and the many other Pokémon within the borders soon became apparent as destructive forces of nature. The kingdom soon was under siege by the Fire Types, the flames melting down hardy steel structures and turning rocks to molten magma. The concrete buildings used were able to withstand the heat, but even they were getting hot inside their thick walls. People were breaking out sweating and some were starting to pass out from the heat.

The next two days were a hellhole as people began to flee, trying to find some safety in distance, but even that wasn't enough. Soon people were trapped on islands of rock in the middle of massive magma rivers or even isolated in caves deep underground with a risk of suffocation. The warlord summoned his advisors and councilors to discuss a plan of action to get the people out or to get them into much safer places. Their plans were bounced around for a full day before the palace began to get too warm for them, and they were forced to leave to stay alive and healthy the best they could. The next city over was chosen, and they spent the next day evacuating everyone to the city, turning it into a massive refugee camp. Other such camps sprung up across the land, but none of them were as well fortified as Heataros.

The warlord, one Hilton Ragnar, stood on top of the palace, observing the intense glow of magma seeping through the kingdom's capital city of Ignatius. Several streets were covered in rivers of magma and a few buildings were surrounded by its reddish glow. People were staggering through the streets, their bodies soaked with rivers of sweat, their clothing soaked and hair greasy with it. The Zubat were avoiding the city because of the heat, but it was only further away did they pose a threat. So people were flocking out of the capital and towards what was dubbed a safe zone: halfway away from the city to avoid the intense heat, but close enough to have the heat act as a safety net for them. Hilton closed his eyes and turned away, heading for the helicopter perched on the roof; it could only stay for so long before the metal began to heat and warp.

He clambered inside, his five foot eleven frame contorting as he took his seat and buckled up. He placed a headset over his messy reddish brown hair and his startling blue eyes, eyes as blue as ice, flicked over to where the pilot sat. "We're ready," he said.

Lord Ragnar looked out over the city as the helicopter's engines spooled up to full rotational speed and the vehicle lifted off the roof, turning south and flying away from the city as it slowly became buried by the very earth itself. He adjusted his red T-shirt and fixed his armor over his chest before shifting to try and rearrange the armor on his waist and clasped around his blue jeans. It was his father's armor, passed down when he inherited the throne.

"When did this all happen?" he muttered. "And why?"

He had no idea, and no one had an answer.

The helicopter banked and flew to the east a bit, dipping down out of the clouds of smoke and smog, passing between burning villages and cities. What greenery there was no longer existed, having been burned to the ground by the flames or turned to ashes as the heat swept over it. Occasionally a tree was seen, but normally as a burned out husk, not the life filled greenery that once dotted the desolate landscape of Ignis' mountainous and volcanic terrain.

His eyes flicked back towards the city they were heading towards: Heataros, the second largest city and the most densely populated in the entire kingdom. The concrete buildings still stood tall and proud, a sign that there may be hope yet. The largest building in the city had been taken over by the Ignis Imperial Army and the top floors were now converted into a command center for emergencies and handling local affairs.

The black colored helicopter banked around and flared upwards as the pilot cut the engines a bit and touched down on the helipad on the roof. The engines spooled to a stop and the rotors slowly wound down. As soon as they were almost stopped, the door opened and Lord Ragnar leapt out, landing on his feet as he turned and ran back towards the door leading into the intensely air-conditioned building.

Once he passed through the doors, the blast of cold air hit his skin and he shivered, a welcome relief to the heat outside.

The warlord rolled his shoulders a few times before he shook out his arms and legs to try and get the blood flowing again. The flight had been a long one.

He turned and proceeded to make his way to the command center where his troops and top advisors met, waiting for him to enter. He stepped into the room and the door closed behind him. Hilton made his way over to the main command table and sat down, grabbing the data files lying in a manila folder in front of him. His advisors and generals also had the same files in the same folder. He opened it and briefly skimmed the contents, which made him frown.

"Sir, we're ready," one of the advisors said.

Hilton looked up. "Okay. Let's get down to business."

"Sir, we got a much clearer report as of two hours ago," the man said as he held up a data sheet. "This is the latest report from our men."

He handed over the data sheet and Hilton frowned a bit more. "This is very disturbing…" he muttered.

"Yeah? Well a lot more is disturbing since this whole damn Apocalypse broke out!" a woman muttered darkly. Her eyes were as hard as granite, and her hair was a shocking blue color, a trait that made her stand out amongst the rest of the dark haired populace of southern Ransei; she had it dyed when she was fifteen, and she kept it that color ever since. She wore the uniform of the Ignis Imperial Army, and beside her sat a Charmeleon, its eyes narrowed.

"Charity's right," the lead advisor said. "There is just too much that is off about this. The sudden increase in Zubat attacks, Pokémon suddenly getting more powerful, Warriors having to use the Link to rein in their partners… It's just too much."

"You don't think I know that!?" Lord Ragnar roared, his voice carrying over the entire room. "I know it all too well! I witnessed my daughter die right in front of me, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it!"

He stood up, planting both hands on the table. "I know all too well! But we can't let this stop us! We have to find out what the hell happened, and how we're going to overcome this!"

"Yeah? And how do you propose we do that?" one of the researchers asked, his green eyes flicking over to Charity Nelson. He was a scruffy man in his late sixties, with graying brown hair and he had tan skin from working outside in the mountains studying the many Pokémon residing in Ignis and Ransei. He had thickly calloused hands and his arms were very well muscled from climbing up and down the rocky cliff faces two hundred and seventy five days a year. He wore a black traveling cloak and underneath he wore a well-worn shirt with a pair of blue jeans and thick leather boots that had conformed to the shape of his feet.

"Hey! Don't look at me, Zeb!" she spat.

"The best way we can overcome this, Zeb, is to gather intel on the Pokémon's sudden increase in capabilities and find out what the hell caused this. If we can, then we can try and trace the one who did this down. If at all," Lord Ragnar said seriously.

Zeb Hanson snorted. As one of the most well-renowned researchers in all of Ransei, he was seen as the number one authority on Pokémon behavior and psychology. His parents had been researchers, much like the rest of his family over the generations. So it made sense for him to follow in his family's legacy, becoming a well-known researcher. His knowledge was only outmatched by those of the Dragon Kingdom, but he was well up there with them.

In fact, it had been on a recent expedition to study Pokémon in the mountains that he had seen all Hell break loose. He was the only one of his team to escape alive, relying on experience and the Jeep they used to get up there to get back to the capital just in time to see magma come crashing down from above like a wave. The concrete buildings survived the initial assault, but the glass was eaten away and some of the older structures were destroyed by it.

That alone put the newer, more modern buildings at risk for potential destruction by the magma if it happened again. But somehow, due to the fact that Ignis' palace was built on a high rocky outcropping, the palace would survive. That very fact made him feel hopeful for the rebuilding of his kingdom, but not if they didn't find a way to quell the sudden rise in attacks on humans and other Pokémon.

Zeb looked them over. "I somehow doubt it will be that easy," he said seriously. "Given what I've seen and experienced on my trip back here, I can safely say that the Pokémon are now much more like animals than the allies we've come to see them as. Well, in terms of their instincts and nature, as well as their attacks."

"So what you're saying is we should terminate our Links?!" a Warrior shouted.

"No," Zeb clarified as he stood up. "What I'm saying is we should take the chance and see what we can glean from this event."

"So, you mean study the effects and gather data?" Lord Ragnar asked.

Zeb nodded. "Yes. It's as simple as that. But we must also be careful because if whoever or whatever did this is still out there, then we could risk becoming overwhelmed by these new instincts ourselves."

Hilton frowned. "Well, if you must… then do it."

The researcher nodded as he sat back down. "I will, sire."

"Now, what about the status on the kingdom?" he asked.

"Sire, everyone has either taken refuge or has been evacuated to safe zones further away. But the real threat is to the geothermal power plants," Charity reported. "The plants are under threat from both Zubat and Fire Types. And you know we provide a large amount of power to the entire southern region. If the plants go, then the whole area does. And it's bye-bye to the power."

The warlord pursed his lips. "I see. So we have a major problem then…" he mused.

"Yes. We need a plan of action to keep the plants online and protected," Charity said as she shifted in her seat, pulling out a flash drive.

"What's on that flash drive?" Zeb asked her.

She shot him a glare before passing it over to Lord Ragnar.

He took it and studied it. "That's the latest data on the Pokémon's feeding habits near the plants. Zubat and Fire Types like Magmar and Tepig."

"Hmm… And you're showing me this because you feel that action needs to be taken," he said.

Charity nodded. "Yes, sire."

Hilton put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… We could use this… But it will take time to put together a coherent plan."

"Right. As long as it's done, that's fine with me."

* * *

At the same time, people were fleeing to other kingdoms to try and escape the encroaching death and destruction. Unlike Aurora which had strict policies to defend against invading kingdoms and wild Pokémon, Ignis only relied on its mountainous terrain for defense, and that very defense was now a hindrance to their efforts to protect their lands. Fire and rock types were coming out of the woodwork it seemed, and this left the cities and villages open to attack.

Fire types burned down the majority of the wooden and steel cities, warping the steel structures and sending thick infernos throughout the wooden towns and villages. Rock types sent down avalanches and Flying types attacked from the air. No one was safe, not even underground. Most people fled to the north or south, towards Aurora, which was rumored to be the least affected by the attacks. Some even fled to Fontaine and Greenleaf, a burden that was soon overwhelmed.

It turned out to the refugees from Ignis that the rumors of Aurora being intact somewhat were true, as the thick walls had kept out most of the fire attacks with only a few igniting in the cities themselves, and even then it was limited due to the destruction that inadvertently acted as a firebreak. The barriers of debris and rubble protected the remaining towns and cities while only two were destroyed by fire.

To the refugees, this was a safe haven.

And they were accepted into the events of the coming week, known from then on as the Week of Hell.

* * *

To the east of Ransei's last holdout, Greenleaf was in dire straits as well. The massive population of Grass Pokémon suddenly went on a rampage around the same time, and things went downhill for them. Most of the cities were made of wood, unlike in Aurora and Ignis where they were made of concrete and steel. This meant that they were vulnerable to being crushed and enveloped by Vine Whips and other plant type attacks.

Bullet Seed did the most damage to the wooden structures. The green energy pellets struck the walls, blowing out glass and creating gaping holes for large vines to wind their way through and engulf the structures. The Pokémon such as Pansage were crying out as their powers surged and fluctuated, an unknown and rather guttural voice screaming at them in their subconscious. Like with Aurora and Ignis, the Warriors struggled to rein them in, with some success while one or two went mad from the backlash.

Razor Leaf tore into several large clusters of villages and Vine Whip lashed out, turning them into vine-covered ruins in a matter of hours. People had to take to the countryside to avoid being killed or maimed by said vines. However, things were not as bad as in other areas where the Weepinbell lived. There people were being eaten alive as they struggled to fight against the Flycatcher Pokémon. Some watched as their children were devoured and children watched as parents or siblings or friends were eaten as well, their screams resonating out.

And overseeing this was the warlord, but she hated it. She wanted to stop it, but she didn't know how.

The warlord's eyes were filled with worry as she paced in front of the thick stone palace gates. The walls were the only thing keeping the ancient edifice safe from destruction, and even then there was a risk of the Grass-types getting inside.

Her name was Lianne Tyrese, and she was in her late forties, the oldest warlord in the entire southern region. She had messy grey-blue hair and her eyes were a gentle brown color. Her skin was a deep tan like all the other natives of southern Ransei, and she wore a blue tank top with a black blazer over it, and her legs were clad in skintight greenish grey shorts, black hiking boots covering her feet.

"Ma'am, we're ready," a voice said.

She turned, her gaze landing on her older brother, who was also her most trusted advisor. He had surprisingly turned down the throne, insisting his sister was the better warlord, and his decision had proven to be quite sound. Hank Tyrese was anything but competent as a warlord, even though his mind was well suited for it. His personality though indicated otherwise, as he was hesitant, uncertain, and very unwilling to lead. He was in his late fifties, and he had greying hair that was starting to thin at the top while his green eyes twinkled like Santa Clause. His face still retained its baby fat and he was slightly heavier than his sister who was fairly fit for her age. His shirt was a bit soiled, and he wore baggy pants, a violation of the code of dress for a kingdom's advisor. But she let him get away with it because of how good his mind was.

"All right, Hank. I'll be in shortly," she said.

He nodded before he vanished inside the main gate to the palace itself.

She took one last look at the gates in front of her before she joined him.

The two headed through the ornately decorated halls and rooms, making for the war room. Unlike Aurora's which was state of the art and Ignis, where they had mobile computers, this room was more like the ancient war rooms, complete with scrolls dotting the walls and the tables were laid out with ancient parchment maps that showed recent border changes over the last three thousand years.

Greenleaf was more traditional for its culture, preferring farming to a major changeover to city life, which other kingdoms had readily adopted. The technology was still advanced, but mostly things were done by hand out in the fields, fields which were now overgrown and overrun with Grass-types. And it was reflected in the building style, which contributed to most of its destruction. Wooden structures could not endure like concrete or steel.

Lianne looked around at her generals and commanders, a few other councilors standing close by.

She made her way to the head of the table and sat down, placing her hands in front of her and looking each of them in the eyes. They nodded, acknowledging her presence and the thick wooden doors closed shut behind her.

"Ma'am, we're ready to begin," Hank said.

"Right. First off, what's the status on the evacuation?" she asked, referring to the civilians flocking to the countryside.

"Over fifty percent of the population has moved to the country, and some have left the kingdom overall," one of the commanders reported. "I'd say about fifteen percent left the kingdom to seek shelter in the other lands."

"Hmm…" Lianne pursed her lips. "What of the Pokémon? Anything on that?" she asked.

"The real problem is the Weepinbell," the commander said, checking over his data notes. "Recent incidents include people being eaten alive and two or three were killed when a few steelworkers used blowtorches on them."

Lianne gritted her teeth. The Pokémon needed to be dealt with somehow, and they currently didn't have enough strength to deal with them at the moment. Let alone the means. True they may have had a bit of an edge in blowtorches, but they could only last for so long against the hordes that now swarmed outside the protective walls of the main palace.

"Keep me informed of this. The more people we can try and save, the better," she said.

"We will," Hank told her.

"As for the rest of the kingdom, what's the status?"

"We're cut off," her communications advisor reported. "All landlines have been severed."

"Dammit!" she swore. "And we lack any means of radio communication?"

"That's right. All radio antennae have been destroyed as well."

Lianne growled as she punched the table. "What'll we do now?" she asked.

"The best thing we can do at the moment is send runners to the next kingdom over, which would be Aurora. And if the rumors are true, they'll have somewhat of an intact infrastructure, or perhaps some sort of shelter system set up," the man said folding his arms.

She nodded. "All right. But don't let them get close to the Weepinbell. Take any means out, even if it has to be via the sewers!"

* * *

The sewer network of Greenleaf was very well-known for connecting to the other lands within southern Ransei, mostly Aurora and Ignis, although two routes connected directly to Fontaine. The problem there was that most of the routes had been severed by blockade or debris clogging the pipes. But some workers had managed to keep about a quarter of the pipes open, allowing them to connect to the other three kingdoms. Those workers went on to become members of the Lumina Sanitation Commission, but that is for a later book.

The messengers fanned out, seeking ways to reach the other kingdoms. But due to the hazards of the network, coupled with a few Poison types such as Muk and Grimer, very few reached their destinations.

Only two ever reached the kingdom of Aurora, one Ignis, and one Fontaine.

But, Fontaine had its own troubles…

* * *

At the same time in Fontaine, the entire kingdom was under siege, but not from Fearow or other Flying types.

They were under attack by Gyrados. And a ton of them.

The massive Water-type Pokémon fired off their Hyper Beams, destroying the thick structures that made up the buildings of Fontaine. The defenses that had been set up centuries ago were ineffective against these newly enhanced Pokémon, and as they swarmed ashore, people and other Pokémon fell to their new instincts, prompting a war of sorts to break out.

Hyper Beams tore holes in the many skyscrapers and other buildings were destroyed by Surf or Waterfall or Whirlpool. Streets were flooded and homes were swept away. The coastal fisheries were overwhelmed and destroyed in massive flooding, and some gale force winds swept through as well, leveling what few structures remained standing. Coastal cities were also wiped out while inland villages were incinerated.

People drowned in the ensuing floods, and the naval forces of Fontaine were caught off guard. Ships were sunk and/or destroyed, while some were left high and dry on land. Submarines were crushed by Gyrados and Tentacruel in the area, while a few others went nuts on the bodies that were ejected from the submarines. This led to a massacre at sea, blood staining the pristine beaches of Fontaine red with death. Water took on a reddish hue reminiscent of the End Days.

And like with the other kingdoms, the warlord was just as baffled, if not downright terrified.

Only this time with very good reason: his kingdom was in danger of being swamped under what seemed to be a divine deluge of water.

And there was nothing that he could do about it.

Lord Darrel Walther shuddered as the waves crashed against the massive palace walls and he backed away, his brown eyes wide with fright. He was unable to comprehend that his entire world was now descending into madness, and the End of Days was upon them. His blonde hair was soaked with water and he rubbed his hands on his shoulders as cold suddenly bit into his flesh through the T-shirt he wore. He backed up, turning and running back inside the hallways of the palace.

He darted down the corridors, nearly colliding with his servants and advisors as he headed for the main war room. His cape flew out behind him as he whipped around a corner and skidded into the adjacent hallway. Lord Walther emerged from the hallway not even five minutes later as he darted into the war room, the massive computer monitor on the wall displaying the entire area of the kingdom, and Aurora to the north.

"What are the locations of the Gyrados?!" he blurted in a terrified voice.

The closest man turned to face him, worry flooding his features. "That's the bad news, sir. They're overwhelming our defenses and are moving inland!"

The warlord felt his knees grow weak and he collapsed, his hands clutching at his head. "Oh, shit! We're doomed!" he moaned. "It's all over!"

"Not true, sir!" his leading general said, resolution visible on her face. "We can still hold the line, but who knows for how long?"

That got him. He looked up. "You sure?" he asked, still terrified out of his wits. He stood up, shaking all over, although he did have a bit of a hopeful look.

She nodded. Sera Li was in her late thirties, with messy brown hair and reddish brown eyes, and she wore the naval uniform of Fontaine, a blue suit with armor on the chest, legs, and shoulders. "Yes, sir. We can, but we have no idea how long. So we have to move our people away from the fighting and deeper inland."

"Any place we can go to avoid the fighting overall?" Lord Walther asked.

"There is Aurora," his senior advisor Sergei Sikorvsky remarked. "They have somehow managed to keep their walls up, which means that they may have some infrastructure left over, or at least intact." Sikorvsky was a big man in his late forties, with messy black hair and sharp green eyes. He wore a blue shirt with brown pants and on his forearms were armored gauntlets that his mother had passed down to him from her grandfather. On his left side he wore a sword and his hair was tied back to keep it out of his face.

"That's good news, then!" Walther remarked.

The older man nodded, his green eyes hard. "Yes. But..." He motioned to the main monitor. "...We also picked up some Gyrados heading for Aurora."

His eyes were hard as he faced the map. "Let's just hope they can hold them off... Or at least manage to drive them back..."

* * *

**23 August**

**1400 hours**

**Auroros, Aurora**

Spray sighed as he looked back at the devastated homes and buildings of the former capital of Aurora. While it still stood tall and proud for the most part, a good portion had been left destroyed in the fighting when the Week of Hell broke out. Now that it was over, there was much that needed to be done to clean up and rebuild. But how he was supposed to do that, he had no idea.

His friends were busy back home in his home town trying to get the power back up and running while Kyou was leading groups to hunt down the Tribe of the Phoenix God and a few others were sent out to try and find that man and his Gyrados.

Now that he had some sort of a plan going, he just needed to figure out what to do next in regards to the rebuilding.

* * *

**All right, peeps! Sorry for the delay, but some stuff came up. I will post every two months, or close to it. So keep an eye out! :) Til next time! :D**


	6. Plans and Secrets

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokémon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokémon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokémon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

* * *

**The Ransei Chronicles**

**Book One: What I've Done**

* * *

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokémon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokémon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokémon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokémon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokémon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokémon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontatine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokémon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done**

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokémon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokémon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Plans and Secrets**

**24 August – Year 0 YDR**

**Urathos, Aurora**

**1100 hours**

This was what they needed: a time to rest and recover. Now that the Week of Hell was over, it was time to figure out a plan of action. The only question was how they were supposed to do it.

The real problem was also how to get the kingdom back on its feet.

Spray stood in front of his house, looking over at the capital city, now without much smoke curling skyward. And without the fires raging, it seemed like the world had finally lost all sense of life and living. But that was far from the case as Pokémon and humans still prowled the ruins, trying to find some way to live.

The pilot sighed. Why was this even happening?

A soft rustling suddenly caught his attention and he spun, his hand flying for the pipe he was carrying as his weapon of choice. At least until he got something better. He had the pipe out and ready to use if needed as the brush parted, and out came a lone Eevee. The Normal Type looked like it had been through hell, as there were numerous injuries and scrapes along its body. But what really struck Spray were the bite marks no doubt made from a Zubat. This Pokémon had somehow escaped being drained of its blood, and yet it was on its last legs, he could see.

The wounded Pokémon collapsed, its eyes looking right at Spray as he ran over and knelt, grabbing the first piece of fabric he saw and tearing it to shreds to make bandages. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this little one alive, but he would try the damn best he could. He finished bandaging the Eevee with the bedsheet shreds and sat down, placing the pipe across his lap and a hand on the Pokémon protectively.

The Eevee sensed this and looked right at him with puzzled eyes. Spray looked back at the creature and held it closer. "It'll be okay…" he said softly. "I'll… do what I can. I can't promise anything more."

The Eevee seemed to sense this and nuzzled him gently, as if to say thank you.

Spray nodded back, smiling gently.

The Pokémon closed its eyes and fell asleep, its flanks rising and falling gently. He kept a close eye on it for a full hour, watching to see what would happen next. But thankfully the little one stayed sleeping, the wounds starting to clot with blood under the bandages. He felt the warm fur of the Pokémon as it shifted in its slumber, purring softly as it snuggled closer to its protector.

Spray was a bit surprised by the movement, but he remained at his post. He finally felt his stomach growl, and he grabbed a sandwich from the packaged food stock he was sitting close to.

Urathos was now being used as a supply station to send food and water across the kingdom to those who needed it the most, and Spray's subdivision was one of the supply bases. So it helped in that sometimes people could get the food they needed, but no more than that.

He sighed as he ran a hand down his face, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Now what?" he murmured. He closed his eyes as he tried to figure out a plan, but nothing came to his mind. All that mattered right now was getting Aurora back on its feet. And even then it was hard to come up with a solid plan.

Spray opened his eyes as he looked back at the burning wasteland around him. Well, not a total wasteland as Aurora still had most of its infrastructure intact, and about half the buildings still stood tall and proud, albeit with some damage to their surfaces. The lights still burned, meaning that although the electricity was severely limited, it still ran. And the burst pipes still had water gushing out, so they had running water at those points while the satellite communications still hummed with traffic. Those were the only good things going for them.

But how were they to use this to their advantage?

He pursed his lips as he frowned a bit.

He was about to stand up and go check on the rest of the crew working when he suddenly felt something. He paused, staying where he was, looking around. He had no idea what it was, but then everything seemed to break loose, almost like the Week of Hell had begun once more.

The ground started to shake.

Spray was on his feet in a flash, staggering as the very earth seemed to move beneath the entire town.

Buildings still standing began to shake and shudder, glass cracking and starting to fall out of its framing towards the ground below. People started to panic and run as fear took hold once more, memories of the Apocalypse fresh in their minds. Spray realized that if people panicked and started to give in to fear, then any hope of rebuilding Ransei and therefore the world was gone forever.

And that he did not want to happen!

He grabbed the megaphone he had used prior and held it up, instinct taking over and orders coming from his mouth as if he had been doing this his whole life. He ordered some people to assist with the wounded if there were any and got some people working on fighting the fires that broke out once again. He told his friends to get on the satellite linkups and start giving orders to help get the rest of Aurora rallied on trying to stay focused.

Normally communications would take forever due to the clouds of dust and smoke still clogging the air. But it was starting to clear, so that allowed for slightly more effective communications. Yet what really made an impact was the landline network, reaching out all across the kingdom and reaching people in isolated communities, telling them to help in any way they could with dealing with the fallout from the quake.

The entire kingdom was now rumbling and shaking, buildings were swaying and some collapsing from the intensifying ground movement. Spray suddenly stopped barking out orders as he suddenly turned, noticing a glimmering light from the direction of the capital. His eyes widened as he stared before it suddenly erupted into a flare of light, causing him and everyone around him to throw their arms up to shield their eyes. Spray wondered briefly if this was a new step in the Apocalypse, but then the light suddenly faded.

Slowly, he lowered his arm, confusion flooding his face.

'_What just happened?_' he thought.

Alas, no one knew.

The twenty-one-year-old warlord blinked his eyes and shook his head, returning to the situation at hand. He ran over to his best friends as they rallied with him, Wingma holding her smartphone in hand. "Spray!" she called.

"Wingma! Is everything all right?" he asked worriedly.

"So far, yes. But a few other parts of Aurora have been cut off. We've got people moving into those areas to try and reopen them," Wingma reported as she looked him in the eyes.

"Good," Spray sighed, relief flooding his body.

"What'll we do now, sir?" a man asked as he approached the two.

Spray gritted his teeth as he looked back at the capital of the kingdom. "We get back to the capital. We've got some communications up and running to the whole kingdom. Now we gotta focus on starting to rebuild the government and get the kingdom repaired as best we can."

The man nodded. "Good idea, sir, but…don't you think we oughta make sure that every city and town in the kingdom is open before doing so?"

Spray shook his head. "No. This way, if someone takes charge, then we have a chance to try and repair the damage done, as well as give a beacon of hope. Our main priority right now is to get Aurora stabilized and then we can get to work on helping those other kingdoms around us, and across the nation," he stated, standing up from his sitting position.

"Okay." The man nodded again and turned, walking off to group as many people as possible into a crowd.

Spray was a bit stunned at how fast things were moving, but then again, considering how it was the Apocalypse, it made sense to a degree. There had to be some kind of order restored, and many people were desperate for it. So far Aurora was barely hanging on, and they needed to restabilize the kingdom before anything else could be done.

The warlord turned to his friends and sighed. "Okay. Now what?" he asked.

"You said it yourself. Get things in order with the government and start to rebuild Aurora," Radar remarked as he stepped forward.

Zippy nodded his head, a strange seriousness overcoming him. "He's right," he remarked.

"I know! But I don't even know the first thing about rebuilding a government!" Spray protested. "I don't even know if I can do it! True I said it, but…" He sighed. "I just…"

Wingma pursed her lips as she stepped closer. "Spray, look. So what? We're all having to do things we don't like. I don't like being involved in politics because it's too messy, but right now I have to be an advisor to help you," she admitted. "And I have no knowledge of politics."

"I'm not comfortable speaking out much," Radar replied. "But I have to in order to try and keep people focused on the mission at hand."

Zippy looked down at his feet. "I… I'm not that good with people in general…" he whispered. "I… You three are the only ones I feel comfortable around…"

The pilot blinked, not the least bit surprised at how his friends felt, but surprised that they were willing to step up and take on roles they weren't suited for. And hell, he was in the same boat.

All four stood there for a while, unsure of what to do next.

Technically, they did have a plan, but… was it the right one?

Spray wasn't even sure to be honest. But what else could they do?

Finally the man returned. "Sir, the crowd's ready."

Spray nodded, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed a lump in his throat and began to follow, his three friends following behind him. Ben was also there, as was Harold, the two men standing off to the side as Spray approached the crowd. A makeshift podium had been erected from an old crate, and Spray disregarded it, instead electing to climb on top of the crate as he grabbed a megaphone from Ben.

He took in a breath and let it out, feeling a fluttering in his stomach.

He raised the megaphone to his lips and cleared his throat.

"Okay. I'm not good at public speaking, really, but… well, I guess I can be in certain conditions, but this is not one of them. Yet… I have to. I know we just got some things back up and running, but if you think about it, we have most of our infrastructure intact and electricity as well as running water, even if it is limited. The buildings still stand and the roads for the most part are clear. Rivers are free of debris to a limited extent, so we can use them, and railways are up and running as well, but only to limited towns and cities," he said, laying out the situation. "The airports are still closed, but we can open those later. Power plants are still operational, but only in the north of the kingdom where we link up with Ignis. We got generators, so… Yeah. We got a lot of stuff that the rest of Ransei may not have.

"Our mission right now is to not only rebuild Aurora, but get the government back up and running so we can more efficiently get to the task of rebuilding the kingdom. After that, we can get the rest of the southern sector up and running before expanding out and trying to help other kingdoms suffering as much as us if not worse. So, I want anyone who is able to assist to follow me and my friends to Auroros where we can begin the process of rebuilding the government. In doing so, we'll be giving hope to the rest of Ransei, not despair like whoever wants us to do. That's what our previous warlord said, and for once, I agree with him!

"Look around you! People are fleeing, either going insane, or struggling to survive. How long do you want this to go on for? Surviving is one thing, but what the one who did this wants is for us to just survive, not _live_. What does that have to do with this? Everything! We have to _LIVE_ life, not just survive. And what I mean by that is that we can't let fear make us hide behind irrational thoughts, let alone govern our lives. So what if our world is now a new place? So what if Pokémon are now able to kill and whatnot? Does that mean we need to hide and eke out a life as merely scavengers and savages?! Our leader said no to this future, and to the Apocalypse! I say the same thing!

"I say no to savagery! I say no to living as cavemen and tribes! I say no to scavenging for flesh to eat and blood to drink! I say no to what this a-hole wants us to do! And most of you, by standing by me and continuing to live in our cities, say no to the same future! We all say no! And I know you know that in order to do so we have to stand firm, and lead to a better future! That is what our founder, Ryuubi Tanaka, said over three thousand years ago, and I agree with those ideals and beliefs! If you stay here, and ignore the call of the wild, then you too stand by them!

"What do we say yes to then? That is the big question that a lot of you have, I'm sure. But look! If we continue to say yes to this future, then we're doomed. But I say yes to a different future. One where we _will_ win, a future of hope, freedom, and unity! A future that shows we _can_ live in harmony with Pokémon still! A future where we _defy_ the asshole who did this! A future where we are one nation, not countless tribes! A future that we can all believe in and fight to secure! How many of you have lost someone to insanity or savagery?! Huh?!"

As he paused, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily, his eyes widened as slowly, one by one, people stood up. Each of them had a strange look in their eyes, and Spray recognized it as being defiance. And for a moment he feared that he was failing, and that they'd turn against him.

But then, the most surprising thing happened.

One of them started to clap, followed by another, and another. Soon more began to join in, and within seconds to a few minutes, the whole crowd was clapping rather politely. He sighed, shaking his head. "Look. I know it's hard to accept, but the truth is, we need to stand up to whoever did this. And by doing so we encourage hope. Polite spirit is good and all, but we need to have a _motive_ for doing so. We can't begin rebuilding without a significant amount of determination and drive. I… I hate to say it, but you have to hear this. Recently, less than a few days ago, actually close to a week at this point, as we were struggling to rebuild and open up the roadways to another town, we encountered a sickening and horrific sight. Some of the town's populace had gone mad and were living out a life as savages, seeking fellow humans to eat and clothe their naked bodies with. Even Pokémon were against them. I… That is what could possibly happen to us if we surrender our beliefs and ideals. I… I don't know if you believe me or not, but others can testify to the situation we saw there.

"For those of you who have seen that situation, if you have photographs, show them to the people in this crowd. They have to see what we could become if we do not resist or do the right thing by standing up for our future or the future we want our children to have." As he spoke, people stood up and started to pass around their smartphones and mobile phones for others to see. Some people turned green and barfed on the spot while others broke down crying at seeing the images. Others grew angry and started to swear, forcing a few to calm them down. The reactions were varied, but the consensus was the same: stand against the future that loomed on the horizon, and carve out a new path for themselves.

"Now I know you may still be feeling sickened and some of you may even doubt whether it's right to fight against such things. But I say we have to. If you choose not to, it's your choice. But be warned: we will not hold back if we encounter you living in the wild. It's up to all of you now. Which is it gonna be?"

He paused, taking note that they were all listening now. Slowly, he began to pace, finally handing off the megaphone to Radar. Now that he was speaking, it felt sort of natural to him, but at the same time not. It was strange.

"I'm not forcing any of you, but I _am_ telling you that this future of savagery that we're doomed to should not happen. Who knows whether or not it's happening in other regions!? And if it is, what are they gonna do about it? We have no contact with the outside world, and that's what this asshole who did this wants. To isolate us humans and cut us off from one another, just like tribes used to be in the past! To have us die off as mere tribes, not a civilized world! The only way we can end this is to rebuild Aurora, Fontaine, Ignis, Greenleaf, and the other kingdoms to our north and across Ransei! We have to rebuild the nation and reopen communications!

"In doing so, we're going to prove that society is much more resilient than that asshole thinks! They want us to crumble, but what do we say?!"

As he opened his mouth to say the word, he was surprised when the crowd stood up as one and said in one voice, the one word he had been meaning to say.

"_NO!_" the crowd roared as one.

Spray was shocked. He staggered back before he regained himself. "You got that right!" he cried. "We say no to that! What do we say to savagery?!"

"_NO!_"

"Right! What do we say to living in isolation as merely tribes and cavemen?!" Spray shouted, raising his voice.

"_NO!_"

"Got that right! And what do we say to the one who wants us to die as mere savages!?"

"_NO!_"

"Exactly! This is what we say to any of that! We say no! We say no to being savages, to eating others, to surviving when we can both _live and_ survive! That is what we are gonna do! We will rebuild the kingdom, the region, and the nation! And we will reconnect with the outside world! We believe in our future, and what we fight for is a future where no one will be living like that! We are more than just that!" Spray yelled, now clenching his fists. "We are more than just Aurora now! Our duty is not just to the kingdom or the southern region, let alone the nation of Ransei! Our duty is to this world we live in! It's become our mission and objective! We have held true to our kingdom's faith for over three thousand years, and we still hold on in this darkest of days! Our beliefs are stronger than this future! And we will continue to be the light in the world's darkest hour! We are going to illuminate this world, and drive back the darkness! Like the Age of Tanaka promised all those years ago!

"We are united! We are going to prove that our beliefs in the future are the way to go! We are faithful to each other, to our homes, families, nation, and kingdoms! A friend of mine once said something that proves this: _Semper Fidelis._ It means "always faithful". And just as those words state, we'll always be faithful to those ideals we believe in! And that is what we will do!" Spray stopped pacing and raised his hand over his head. "We will fight for our world! We will reconnect the other regions together! And we _will_ defeat whoever it was that started this whole damn war! We _will_ be victorious! _SEMPER FI!_"

"_SEMPER FI!_" As one, fists were raised as the crowd thrust them up into the air, a cry echoing over the entire square and town.

Spray was stunned as finally the crowd broke out into not polite applause like last time, but full on cheers and applause comparable to a PokéBlues concert. His right hand fell to his side as he laughed a bit. The whole thing just seemed surreal to him.

Radar approached his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. Spray shot a glance at him.

"Hell of a speech. Not quite what I expected, and to be honest, I was kinda doubting you for a moment," Radar remarked.

"I… I wasn't sure…" Spray murmured as he looked back at the cheering, roaring crowd. "I don't know how I did it…"

Wingma laughed a bit as she approached. "It's obvious to me. You forced them to face the possibility of a future that no one wants. And you gave them hope. A hope we all needed desperately," she replied.

Spray nodded, turning back to the crowd. He raised a hand and everyone stopped cheering, looking at him attentively. "Okay. Look, I know you're half expecting another rousing speech, but to be honest, I just got lucky that time. What needs to be done now is rebuild. So I need volunteers to come with me and my friends to Auroros so we can start to rebuild. Anyone willing to come forward, do so."

About fifty people stepped forward and Spray blinked. "Uh… okay?"

Radar nudged him. "May as well. The more people we get, the better," he muttered in his ear. Spray nodded.

"Those people who stepped forward, get some wheels and we'll head out as soon as we're able to! The sooner the better!" he said.

The group nodded and they started scrambling for the closest vehicles as Spray and his friends hopped aboard their own personal vehicles. Spray got on his bike and started the engine, lodging his makeshift weapon on the back. He gunned the engine and the bike shuddered as it revved. He could sense the power of the vehicle and he sighed a bit, still feeling uncertain about his decisions, especially after that strange earthquake.

Still, they did have to rebuild. And this was the best way to begin.

* * *

**Location Unknown, August 24, 0 YDR**

A small fire crackled in the middle of the room, a shape huddled over it. The smoke curling up from the flames was bright green, a mark of the incense burning within the earthen pot over the fire. The shape had its hands out over the pot, eyes closed and a muttering emitted from the black space underneath its hood. The chamber was nothing more than a small cave, and all around the shape, sticks of incense were poked into the ground, adding a sense of mysticism to the scene.

The shape stopped chanting and lifted its hooded head, gazing into the green fumes from the pot. It held out a hand and grasped at the smoke, disturbing it and hissing in anger. "So… The Chosen One cometh…" it whispered in an older sounding male voice, gravely with age and wisdom.

The form stood up, the rustle of the robes being drowned by the crackling flames.

He turned and seemed to drift towards a small stone table in the corner of the chamber, grasping a small bottle of something akin to a potion. Holding the vial in hand, he moved back to the fire and sat down, pulling out the stopper and pouring the contents into the earthen pot.

The boiling liquid within puffed out thick steam and the smoke turned black as night, obscuring what little light existed in the chamber. The shape started to chant once more, only to stop as footsteps resonated within his hearing.

The chamber doors opened and seven shadowy forms stepped in, each of them kneeling before their master.

"My Lord, we have come bearing news," the first shape said, never lifting his head.

"What is it, my child?" the cloaked man asked.

"The mortals… Some of them have reverted back to a simpler time, but the rest continue to hold true to their disgusting ideals of this modern world," the form said, lifting his head at last to expose two blue eyes.

"Ah… I see…" the man whispered, looking back over his shoulder. His reddish eyes glinted as he looked at his servants. "And the Chosen One… He cometh?"

"Yes, My Lord," the second shape said. "He cometh at the hour of thirteen."

The man seemed to sneer as he stood up, spreading his arms and facing the seven warriors. "My children… the time has cometh for thy reign to begin… Seek your kingdoms and begin. But do not let the Chosen One stop you. Defeat him and you will be rewarded… with your heart's desires."

"My Lord, we shall not fail…" the seven forms chanted as one. "For we are the Sins, and we shall cleanse this world of all that is filth."

The man sneered for real, his red eyes flashing with hatred.

Judgment was nigh at long last.

* * *

**Auroros, Aurora, August 24, 0 YDR**

Spray grunted as he pulled aside one of the many stones barring the entryway into the palace. As it was, most of the stones were minor, but there were a ton of them so it would take days, if not weeks, to fully clear the doorways. Thankfully the doors had blocked most of the rocks, with only a few smaller ones slipping in through the crack. He set the rock down and wiped his forehead with his still bandaged hands. He looked at the bandages, now a dirty brown color from all the debris and dried blood. He wondered what his hands looked like under there, and made a mental note to have them looked at once he got back home.

He brushed it aside though and slithered through the open gap in the doors.

The interior of the palace was still intact due to the exterior being well engineered to withstand almost any Pokémon attack, which proved to be a godsend in this case. The only real debris littering the area was dust and a few things had been knocked over in the fighting and the earthquake. He grasped the pipe in his hand and ventured in, unsure if there were any wild Zubat that had taken refuge there.

He kept his eyes and ears peeled anyway though.

A few others slipped through the doorway gap and landed on the tile floor, following his footsteps as they echoed through the complex. They met up with the young warlord as he wandered to the main offices for the former government.

Spray looked around, noting that the generators for the entire palace were still operational. The lights flickered feebly as he approached the main monitor and pressed a few keys. The machine hummed and came online, showing a map of the entire kingdom, most of the cities glowing a dull yellow color. Some were bright red, and a few were a brilliant green-blue color. He sighed in relief. It wasn't as bad as he had feared.

He tapped a few more keys and the infrastructure damage came up.

Most of the roads were either dull yellow or green-yellow, with a good portion a dull red. Railroad tracks were cut off in some areas, but the rivers were all operational and clear of debris. His tense shoulders relaxed as he smiled. Yeah. They could do this. That was for sure.

Now they had to rebuild the government.

He turned to face the men and women with him, noting how they were all gathered close to the door and he waved them in.

"Okay. So, as you can see, the infrastructure and the cities and towns are mostly intact. Sure some are damaged beyond repair and some things need to be replaced, but we can make do. This is a huge step, and actually, I feared it would be a lot worse than this. But it's a huge relief to see that it wasn't worse, so we should consider this a miracle. And technically, we gotta be grateful we had those defensive walls," he explained, pointing out the infrastructure and cities and towns on the map. "I gotta admit, we're lucky. Most others I doubt were as lucky as us. And considering how we don't really have access to many satellites in orbit, we'll need to start rebuilding as soon as possible so we can go out and see how bad it really is out there."

"Uh, sir? If I may, I'm just wondering how we'll get to the rebuilding of the government," a woman said, running a hand through her hair.

Spray took in a breath and sighed. "Well, I'm not sure on that, to be honest. But I do know one thing: we need to move beyond a monarchy. We're gonna need a democracy, like our previous warlord wanted. And I have an idea on how we can do it."

Everyone gathered around as he started to lay out his plan.

Every now and then someone piped up with an idea and they debated it, turning the process into a reformation of the government rather than just a recreation. Spray wound up consulting with a few people he came to like pretty quickly, including a supposedly dull businessman who turned out to be very shrewd in politics and hiding a quick wit behind that dull exterior. Spray was immensely surprised at how well the team came together, and over the next six days they worked to try and forge a new government.

During this time, Aurora finally got most of the roads and railroads cleared, along with reestablishing interior communications. That alone was a huge bonus to the recovery efforts, and it allowed the citizens to get more help directly than not at all. It also allowed the cities to start repairing their damaged buildings much quicker. But there were still reports of those who were now living as tribespeople, and that had to be taken care of rapidly.

So Spray set about doing something Aurora had been considering but never implemented: the creation of a Marine Corps, the first ever in the history of Ransei.

And they were to become one of the best branches in the entire Ransei Military.

* * *

**Auroros, Aurora, August 30, 0 YDR**

"..._entire region under attack..._"

*click*

"..._not sure if my family made it..._"

*click*

"..._need medical aid over here! Repeat: we need medical aid..._"

*click*

"..._running out of food and water..._"

*click*

"..._Pokémon are attacking my home! We need assistance..._"

*click*

"..._Help... Need... aid... Home destroyed..._"

*click*

"..._Hoehn Militia outgunned and outmanned..._"

*click*

"..._Assistance... Assistance... please... Anyone..._"

*click*

"..._out of water... Any help..._"

*click*

"..._Goldenrod City destroyed..._"

*click*

"..._Mauville City nothing more than ruins..._"

*click*

"_...Help... Attack... Bug Pokémon... AAAAAAAGH!_"

*click*

*radio goes dead*

*static fizzles and scenes of carnage and war are shown*

*click*

*A man is mauled by a Beartic*

*click*

*Hoehn Militia tanks are fighting fiercely against Golem and Onix as they attack Slateport City's edges*

*click*

*Homes are being submerged at the League gateway in Evergrande City*

*click*

*The Mossdeep Space Center is shown to be under fire before the screen cuts to static and it changes to a wounded and battle-scarred man with panic in his eyes*

"..._unsure of how much longer we can hold our own against the attacks. If anyone out there is viewing this, then please send as much aid as possible! We're down to our last rounds of ammunition and missiles! We're running low on food and water... Anyone... Please!"_

*The man is suddenly cut off as a flurry of leaves tears him to shreds, his camera falling to the ground, finally revealing the fight raging outside Fallarbor Town*

*Static fills the screen and then it goes dark*

* * *

**Heya, my peeps! Sorry, but I was busy over the last few months writing out a new fic to go with this one. :) Be sure to check it out, and also check out Cornova's Pokémon Series, Poké Wars! :) So, try to read and review, my peeps! :D**


	7. Rebuilding

_Ransei…_

_A region of Pokémon unlike any other._

_Divided into seventeen different kingdoms, this region has long since forgotten most of its feudal heritage. While the kingdoms remain intact, most of the people have given up their warring status for trade and commerce, although some warlords still vie for competition and power amongst themselves. Those warlords that do instigate wars that most do not wish to be a part of are considered despots and they are, by nature, despotic rulers. As a result, the region has suffered a huge technological boom that brought advancement to each of its kingdoms._

_Each kingdom went through a transformation from an area of merely small villages and hamlets with a castle into either a large urbanized area or a mix between pastures and cities. The castles remained intact for several centuries, but through the growth of the kingdom some either vanished and had to be rebuilt or fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt from the ground up. By the time the region opened its borders to trade with the other regions, only three castles remained intact: Aurora, Ignis, and Greenleaf._

_Thanks to the hard work of historians and archaeologists over the next few decades though, most castles have been rebuilt and modernized for better longevity. But there was another advancement that led to the growth of the region. In terms of arms, Ransei's natives only possessed simple swords and their Pokémon. Yet trade brought with them an arm that they readily adapted to and refined into more lethal formats: the gun._

_After thirty years, the Ransei warlords possessed enough arms to equip their forces as they continued to wage war against one another. The battles fought spurred more advances, leading to newer and better guns, along with the development of the car. Refinement of the airship also led to newer versions, culminating in the creation of the speediest aircraft the world had ever seen: the fighter plane._

_Even ships were not immune to this type of advancement. Whereas sailing ships have been used for centuries in Ransei, with the coming of trade and new technologies, sailing ships have been phased out for more modern and more efficient methods of transportation. Steam engines replaced sail, and when steam became too polluting, diesel was adopted. Armored warships also came into existence, carrying bigger and heavier armaments. Most did not really last into the modern era, but some have, allowing those who possessed them to have immense firepower on their sides._

_Most now possess some form of an army, navy, and/or air force. But not all kingdoms like this._

_In fact, one kingdom, the kingdom of Aurora, has been known to rely not on arms alone, but on well-built defensive lines that keep any invaders out. Such feats are commended by the other lands within Ransei as being either the acts of a coward, or a smart, wise ruler. Of course, it was for good reason, as well._

_Being surrounded on all three sides by other kingdoms, it was necessary._

_But it really showed itself the day everything went to hell._

_The day Ho-oh declared war on humankind._

_Now, one young man must step up to the plate and unite Ransei amidst war, chaos, and depression that threatens to sap any chance of hope left. Fighting against other kingdoms, bandits, wild Pokémon, and the darkest hearts of Ransei, the man, along with the allies he makes, will become a beacon in the world's darkest hour, and turn Ransei into a force to be reckoned with._

_This is his tale._

_The story of Steven "Spray" Krane._

_This is…_

**The Ransei Chronicles**

**Book One: What I've Done**

* * *

**(**_The scene opens with the region of Ransei shown on an old parchment map. The paper is old and faded, with some tears here and there as well as some mold beginning to rot the parchment. The map is engulfed in smoke before it fades to reveal fires burning in a major city, people and Pokémon alike running._**)**

**In this farewell**

**There's no blood**

**There's no alibi**

**(**_The fire reaches up and swirls around on the screen before it is removed to reveal a Fire Punch attack, the wielder being a Blaziken and beside the Pokémon stands a young man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, aviator goggles on his forehead. He waves a hand and the Pokémon leaps up, firing off the attack and hitting a Grass type. The Pokémon is thrown back, landing behind a hedge. The camera moves up to reveal the Kingdom of Greenleaf, its cities now transformed back into large acres of farmland._**)**

**'****Cause I've drawn regret**

**From the truth**

**Of a thousand lies**

**(**_The Warlord of Greenleaf is shown beside her men and she holds out a hand, the warlord of Aurora grasping it. The scene shows both banners fluttering before parting and the two kingdoms are seen, their armies in front. Each army possesses both Pokémon warriors and the mechanical arms of war in equal numbers. At the front of the allied kingdoms are the two warlords, standing beside their Pokémon. Above them is a new flag, a black banner with an image of a world with a four pointed golden star and two futuristic wings behind the world._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_The two kingdoms are shown on the same parchment map, their armies advancing towards Fontaine. The kingdom is under attack by Gyrados, as shown on the map as draconic images. A wave suddenly washes up against the camera before falling away and the kingdom is revealed under attack. Hyper Beams lance through the air and several warships are on fire. Some fight back, but are unable to really penetrate their hides._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_A barrage of shells suddenly hits a Gyrados as it attempts to make landfall and the people look back as Allied tanks begin to pour through the devastated city, Pokémon and war machines alike assisting the defenders. Fighter jets streak overhead, using their missiles to drive back any Fearow or Wingulls that attempt to attack from above. The warlord of Fontaine is in shock._**)**

**Put to rest**

**What you thought of me**

**While I clean this slate**

**With the hands of uncertainty**

**(**_The other two warlords are shown meeting with him and he is unsure. His eyes flick to the group and after some consideration, he agrees and clasps their hands. The kingdom is then admitted to the alliance, as shown by a third star appearing on the left point of the golden star. The banner then flutters away as it shows Fontaine assisting with their fishing industry, and their navy._**)**

**So let mercy come**

**And wash away**

**What I've done**

**(**_A sudden blast of fire cuts across the scene and the Kingdom of Ignis is shown, burning even brighter than before due to the Pokémon rampaging within its walls. The power generating stations are under heavy assault, several ground types attempting to breach the thick walls. The warlord is standing in front, trying to defend them with his warriors by his side. He waves his hand and another blast of fire cuts across the screen before fading to reveal the three kingdoms attacking from the rear._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**For what I've done **

**(**_The warlord is surprised by the triple attack, but doesn't hesitate to assist as he orders his troops to fire with everything they have. The attacking sides are shown on the map from before, only now it has more of a modern look to it. The images of Pokémon are shown falling back to several other kingdoms, and some are joining the new kingdom formed in the aftermath of the Battle of Ignis: Lumina._**)**

**I start again**

**And whatever pain may come**

**Today this ends**

**I'm forgiving what I've done!**

**(**_The four kingdoms are shown on a monitor map, the symbol of Lumina above it, and below the map are seven silhouettes, their Pokémon in shadow as well. Behind the map is a single black stone. A light then passes in front and it fades to show Steven Krane and Kyou Kagita standing side by side, Blaze in between them. Behind them is a black draconic shape, two eyes flashing._**)**

**I'll face myself**

**To cross out what I've become**

**Erase myself**

**And let go of what I've done**

**(**_The image's eyes flash and overcome the screen, showing Lumina's new army, navy, and air force preparing for war. A few new weapons are being tested, and one of them is fired at a Muk as it tries to kill a nearby civilian. The weapon fires a beam of high-pressure liquid nitrogen, freezing the screen. The ice falls away and a new, sleek missile is revealed. But unlike others, it is much larger and can carry a heavier payload: The Draco Meteor Intercontinental Ballistic Missile._**)**

**What I've done**

**Forgiving what I've done**

**(**_The missile is shown launching and descending, exploding and the entire screen is engulfed in the light before it fades to reveal the series name._**)**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Rebuilding**

**30 August – 0000 YDR**

**Urathos, Aurora**

**0900 hours**

"…_need help… please… running out of food… water low…_"

"_…__town under attack. Hundreds dead, maybe more…_"

Spray sighed as he shut off the radio, placing his head in his hands and rubbing his temples.

Six days into the rebuilding and already he had a huge headache mounting. "Dammit…" he muttered. He looked up, his head falling back and his gaze landing on the ceiling above him. He could faintly see a few cracks from the damage and attacks on the palace, but it wasn't as bad as he had feared. The damage could easily be patched.

The real trouble lay in getting things up and running. True they had the government reformed, but most people still weren't sure how long it was gonna last.

Unlike the other kingdoms, there was no bloodline going back hundreds of years or generations. Even before the Apocalypse or as people were now calling it the Undampening, there hadn't been any such thing in place in Aurora, and hadn't been since the Age of Tanaka three thousand years ago. The warlords of the kingdom had been either picked for valor or determination or intellect, something that most other kingdoms back then hadn't done. True Ignis, Fontaine, and Greenleaf had joined the ranks of those to pick warlords based on their qualities in comparison to blood, but it was only two hundred years ago that they had done so. Even in the Age of Tanaka, the ruler of Aurora had always been a Tanaka, but picked for their qualities, not their position in the family, and not based on paternal lineage.

Spray had modeled the new government on the same idea, but with elections instead of merely picking them.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "Just who was behind all of this? And how can we overcome this?" he muttered.

Opening his eyes, Spray stood up and headed for the door leading outside. The massive steel doors were open, and he could clearly see that the sun was rising overhead and that the thick smoke was vanishing as the fires were put out. The sounds of heavy machinery hummed and roared as he headed to the edge of the balcony and looked out over the battle-scarred parking lot for the palace.

Huge cranes were lifting the debris off the ground and dumping it into large dump trucks to be hauled away to the landfills or dumps to be sorted through to see what could be salvaged. He watched the last truck get filled and head off down the roadway to the next street over. A sigh escaped him as he rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms over his head, trying to get the blood flowing at least. Being cooped up in a chair for five hours was not good for him, and he preferred to be moving.

Well, he preferred to be flying in his plane, and as it was, the only clear spot was a stretch of roadway that was blocked on either end by debris. He looked back at the spot where his plane was parked and he found himself walking back towards the stairway leading down to the main level.

He passed by a few other people as they struggled to lift some debris away from the steps. They merely nodded as they worked and he returned the nod.

Spray continued on his way, passing by them. His mind returned back to the mission at hand, and he gritted his teeth as he strode down the steps towards where his plane was parked. He needed to get airborne and try to clear his head, as well as try to rally any survivors he could.

The only problem was how it was supposed to be done. Radio communications were spotty, the landlines were patchy, and satellites were barely operational. So how were they supposed to get in contact with the rest of the kingdoms, let alone Aurora's isolated towns and communities? His mind was reeling with these questions and more as he got into his plane and started the engine, taking flight not even fifteen minutes later. The flight check would've taken longer, but he was desperate to get up into the air and away from the hassle of rebuilding the government for a while.

As soon as he was airborne, Spray let out a sigh of relief as he let his instincts for flying his plane take over. He put the plane into a turn and his gaze landed on the city, its devastated buildings coming into view. He could pick out spots where the roads were beginning to be cleared and some spots were still blocked off. The man streets were at least cleared, so some traffic was moving again, even if it was consisting primarily of dump trucks, military vehicles, and other construction equipment. A small handful of civilian trucks and cars were starting to mingle in with the others, but their numbers were still pitifully few at the moment.

He sighed as he turned his gaze away and put the plane into a climb, spiraling out of the city and towards the suburbs and other towns in the kingdom. He could see the lights flickering on as the generators did their work, and some communities still remained dark, lit only by candles and lanterns. But at least they had radio and communications, a far cry from over a week ago when things were going to Hell.

A smile crossed his lips as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief for the moment.

But then memories came back, memories of that man and his Gyrados, along with the death of the warlord. Spray gritted his teeth and shook his head, trying to clear the death from his mind. He managed to do so, but that man's face remained.

Thoughts surrounding his origins and life came to his mind, mostly questions. In fact, all of them were questions. Who was he? Where did he come from? What was his motive? Who did he work for, if anyone? And why was he dressed like that to begin with?

All these thoughts and more floated through his brain as he clenched his hands on the controls, feeling them shaking ever so slightly. He gritted his teeth as he tried to figure it out. But no answers were visible, let alone in plain sight. In fact, no answers existed as of this moment. He wished he had more of a clue to go on.

But nothing existed at the moment.

Spray finally put his plane into a turn and flew back towards his hometown, intending to spend some time back where he had grown up. But then he suddenly tensed, hearing the radar on his plane acting up. He shot his gaze down at it, and his teeth gritted as he saw a few dots approaching. And they did not register as friendly in his mind's eye. Especially in the aftermath of the Undampening.

His suspicions were confirmed seconds later as he heard the chattering of machine guns and he snarled as he whipped his plane into an aileron roll, speeding past them. His eyes hardened once he saw the large plane coming up on his six o' clock. He didn't know who these people were, or what they wanted, but if they were shooting at him, then that was an indication they were hostile. And since his plane was unarmed, he had to resort to some very creative flying.

The engine whined as he wrenched the controls, flipping his plane into an Immelmann turn, getting a better view of the incoming aircraft.

The retrofitted transport plane was painted a sort of sinister black color, and on its sides were skull and crossbone emblems. Guns had been mounted to the sides of the fuselage and the cockpit was heavily reinforced for protection from bullets or explosives. Spray was shocked to see that on its side was the emblem of the Kingdom of Spectra, a clear indication that it was theirs. But the crew had other intentions.

The machine guns began to chatter once more as he spotted the pilot in the cockpit. The man had a bandana wrapped around his nose and mouth to hide his identity, and Spray growled to himself. Now he wouldn't be able to ID the man, but that mattered little in the long run. This was akin to an act of war, and the last thing they needed was to fight against another kingdom whose warlord wanted to cement their power and reign. Spray darted past the bigger plane, using his crop duster's greater speed and agility to his advantage.

Bullets whizzed mere feet from his plane's metal skin and Spray grimaced as one barely missed the windshield. He put the plane into a dive, plummeting down towards the ground below. The bigger plane gave chase, and Spray pulled up, leveling off and blasting through the ruined capital city, dodging and weaving around the buildings and the remains of some that didn't survive the battle two weeks ago. The transport plane on the other hand couldn't match the smaller plane's agility or ability to weave through the buildings. So it had to stay above the skyline. That gave Spray a chance.

He sped right for the outskirts of the city, passing by a few AA guns that were operational and the gunners saw his plane flash overhead. The bigger plane came into view and they acted swiftly, bringing their guns to bear on the hostile aircraft. The guns roared, sending their AA shells right for it.

The large plane rattled as the explosions erupted around it, and the pilot within started barking orders to the crew and telling them to ignore the gunners. But it was no use. The next shells hit home and the big plane began to tumble out of control towards the ground below. The craft slammed into the ground just outside the city perimeter, exploding as soon as it hit.

Spray sighed in obvious relief, and he put his plane into a circle back towards the capital. He needed to get on the air and talk to people as soon as he was able to. But right now, it fell to him to try and get the communications back up. And that was the first priority.

* * *

**An hour later**

Spray darted into the building, panting heavily from his run from the parking spot for his plane. He looked around, trying to find the Communications Secretary.

"Hey! Where's the Secretary of Communications?" he asked one of the workers.

The woman shrugged. "Beats me. He said he'd be busy somewhere, but didn't say where."

Spray growled to himself before he turned and ran down another corridor. As he ran, his mind raced as he tried to figure out how they could get the comms back up and running across the entire kingdom. For one thing, he knew, they needed some kind of reliable system, and radio or satellite wasn't going to cut it alone. Neither could landlines. So, what could they use? Snail mail was in no way as effective as it could be, and he was worried that delays would cause the letters and other mail to get backed up or delayed from their intended recipients.

He was so busy thinking he had no idea where he was going and the next thing he knew, he was lying sprawled on his back, rubbing his forehead where he had collided with the man he was seeking.

The man, Frederic Jackson, sat up and held out a hand. Spray grasped it and the well-built Communications Secretary pulled him to his feet. "Sorry, sire," he said. "I was seeking you out."

"Yeah? Well, I was, too," Spray remarked as he brushed off his T-shirt and faced Secretary Jackson. "And please don't call me sire. I'm not royalty. Just a man trying to bring some sanity back to this place."

"As you wish, Warlord Krane," the man said, saluting.

The pilot blinked, but smiled a bit. That was a lot better than being bowed to, and actually, it fit, given the circumstances. "Yeah. So, what's going on?" he asked, becoming serious again.

"Well, we've been working on trying to get the landlines back up and running, but so far that's easier said than done. The only other way we can communicate aside from snail mail is email, and that's been down for two weeks," Jackson reported.

"Shit…" Spray muttered. "So much for that…"

Jackson nodded as he pulled out his smartphone. "Too bad the sonic pulse scrambled up the radio waves. Then we could use the radio and not our phones…"

"Wait. Phones…!" Spray's eyes narrowed. "Back during the battle to drive off that Gyrados, Kyou and I were able to communicate via our phones. We didn't have radios, so we had to use our phones. Which means that the phone satellites up in orbit must be unaffected!"

"Sir, you do realize that by now, the satellites have to have been knocked out of orbit or shot down by Pokémon in the aftermath of the Undampening," Jackson protested. "I mean, the only other way they could still work aside from satellites would have to be our phone towers… which… survived… unscathed!" Jackson's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Our phone towers survived! So we can still use those to communicate! Of course we'd have to set up portable relay stations to relay news from one area of the kingdom to the next, but at least it's better than nothing until we can get communications back up fully!" He was now shaking a bit as he rambled, jotting down ideas on a slip of paper he grabbed from his pocket. His pen flew over the paper and he smiled. "Yes. Yes! I think it will work!"

Spray blinked as he worked, leaning over his shoulder. But the Secretary merely brushed him aside until he was done.

The young warlord leaned against the wall, his eyes drifting towards the cracked ceiling, a few lights flickering as the generators struggled to keep the massive palace lit up. He could only wonder how things would change in the aftermath of this catastrophe. It was completely unlike anything any movie writer or horror writer could come up with. In fact, it was beyond anything he could imagine himself.

His thoughts drifted back to when this whole thing began. August 16th. That date was embedded in his mind permanently now as he closed his eyes and sighed. That was the day the whole world went to Hell. And even now…

Spray shivered at the implications for the rest of the regions in the world. He wondered if many of them had even survived. Oh sure he figured there would be survivors, but he was wondering if any government, or any form of civil society still remained like within Aurora and even possibly all of Ransei. Ransei had a historical link with Pokémon going back centuries, so it kind of made sense that Aurora, Ignis, Greenleaf, and Fontaine would survive as close to unscathed as possible.

That meant that it was possible to try and rebuild the nation from the ruins, and retain a large population, which would come in handy if there were any possible survivors out there that turned the other regions into their playthings or took advantage of the chaos to generate new nations. Some of those thoughts made him tense and he felt his body tighten its muscles as he pondered those thoughts.

Many other nations, struggling, trying to make ends meet as gangsters and bandits roamed their lands. That was akin to the Apocalypse as depicted in many Ransian movies. That alone made him worried. What kind of world would Ransei find once they were fully united under one banner, if at all? Would there be any remnants of the old world left? And if so, could they be preserved for the future generations to come?

"Done!" Jackson suddenly blurted. Spray yelped as he jolted from the sudden cry.

He turned to face the other man as he held up the paper and handed it to the warlord.

Spray took it and looked it over, his eyes widening. The map Jackson sketched had the entire kingdom visible, and around it, at three key road junctions, were huge relay towers constructed out of debris and rubble, wires leading to the phone lines still operational and to the cell towers. He looked at Jackson skeptically.

"Those three towers are the relay stations. They can be dismantled and unhooked from the junctions, and moved to wherever they're needed," he explained. "The towers are obviously constructed from whatever we've got laying around, so it's a start. But we'll also have to have trucks to haul them around, along with the generators needed to power the stations. This will allow the calls to be relayed to wherever they're needed."

"It could get messy," Spray mused.

"But it's better than nothing, right?" Jackson pressed.

Spray had to admit he had a point. But how would this damn thing work? And would it even be useful in the short term?

Jackson seemed to sense the unasked question and he pursed his lips. "To be honest, I'm not sure if it will work or not," he admitted. "But it's all we got…"

"So you want my approval, right?" Spray asked, handing the map back to him.

The Communications Secretary nodded. "Yes."

He lowered his head, putting a hand to his chin as he thought. It was possible… but at the same time, was it worth the risk? So many people depended on this one decision. And he wasn't sure if it would work. To be honest, neither man was sure of this. But then again, it was all they had.

And it was a risk they had to take.

He looked up and nodded. "Do it. Get anyone who is able to work on this thing and start doing it. Get to those junctions and set this up. How long will it take?"

Jackson's eyes hardened. "A few days, give or take. But hopefully if we give it our all, we can have it up and running in a few hours."

"Then get to it! I need to speak to the people of Aurora ASAP when it's done!" Spray snapped.

The man nodded and saluted before running off to get his team together.

* * *

The next few days were a mess as people struggled to get the relay stations up and operational. Somehow the word had gone out and reached the devastated areas of the kingdom, and people swarmed to assist with the project. The relay towers were hurriedly assembled using what was available and as time passed, they were wired into the main landline network, and the wireless phone towers were hooked in as well.

* * *

**Three hours later**

Spray entered the communications room, his eyes hard. The Communications Department Secretary stood not too far from him, looking over the camera and checking the satellite uplink. He turned to face the warlord.

"Sir, we got the links up and running, but we don't know how effective they'll be considering the jamming from the pulse is still messing with the radio waves," he remarked as Spray sat down behind the desk Warlord Hansen had once used.

"I know. But we have to get this message out. After what happened today, people have to know that any attacks on us during the rebuilding will be met with retaliatory force," Spray said, his eyes dead serious.

The Secretary nodded. "Okay. But be warned: that may cause some adverse reactions amongst the kingdoms, especially north of us. They were the most heavily hit by this, considering the types of Pokémon that live there."

Spray merely nodded back and held his pipe close to his body as the camera turned to aim at him. Within minutes the light came on, and the message began to broadcast to any device that would receive it, regardless of whether it was via landline, satellite, or radio waves.

Outside, people perked up at hearing the static and they turned their devices on or tuned them to the proper frequency, scanning through the stations until they received it. The message was garbled at first, but finally, a brief moment of clarity came through for them all. It wasn't very long, and nor did it really cover all the forms of media that he had intended. And it was very, very messy. But the gist of it was heard. And that was enough for them.

"_Attention people of Aurora. This is Spray Krane. As of earlier today, many of you may have heard and seen the hostile aircraft as it attacked. Or rather, some of you have. Most of you may have not, so… the gist of it was that I was jumped by a heavily modded transport plane from the kingdom of Spectra. I fear that bandits hijacked it and took it over, intending on using it for raiding other kingdoms in much dire straits than us. But they failed. Our AA guns took it down over the city, and it crashed outside the city limits. Now, I understand that most of you may call it an act of war, and in a sense it is. But not against Spectra. The attack was conducted independently of any government, and the bandits knew as much._

"_Bandits are roaming outside our kingdom's boundaries, and who knows how bad it really is within the rest of Ransei. But if reports from the other three kingdoms surrounding us are of any indication, then their straits are not as dire as the rest of Ransei. In fact, you could say that the southern part of Ransei has escaped the chaos further north. And some of you may claim it's divine fate or intervention, but I disagree. It's all due to chance and luck. We got lucky. Nothing more._

"_But this does raise a point. Who exactly did this? And why? What purpose does it have? And more importantly, what does this mean for us as a region, or as a nation? I ask you this because it's now our duty… no, our… our drive… to unite Ransei under one banner. Why unite the region? Is it not enough to leave it in chaos and start rebuilding from there? No. It's not. Because then it would show no real growth. We have made a promise to prevent this from happening again, and that promise will extend out to the rest of Ransei. Also, if we do manage to unite the country, it will ensure that we retain most of our current population. That bandit attack today also made me realize that there may be other human run nations out there who may try to take advantage of the chaos and establish dictatorships. That is another reason why: to stop them at the source of their power._

"_Why should we risk it all to unite a country that no longer exists? Because of what we witnessed during the Week of Hell. During that time, we saw humans go mad and try to return to primitive tribalism, a way of thinking considered incomprehensible in this day and age. Some of you may feel it's better for humanity to resort to such living, but then are we living? No. We're merely surviving. And survival is not our way. We, as humans, as a species, have to _live_, not survive. If we don't, then we're only proving whoever did this right. And that's why we have to unite the region. Also, it's to ensure our security in this new world. And what better way than to create a region where hope still thrives?_

"_If there isn't any hope, then the whole world will be doomed to a new Dark Ages! And _that_ is what I want us to avoid! By retaining hope, and therefore the will to live, to inspire, and to generate knowledge, our world will _not_ fall to such an age! The Dark Ages will not come as long as we have faith, hope, and resilience! Our nation has come through time and time again, despite the odds thrown our way! The Age of Tanaka lasted fifteen hundred years! After the Age of Tanaka came to an end, our country was nearly thrown into the Dark Ages if not for another warlord who inspired other kingdoms to continue! Ransei is, and has always, dealt with such a threat! So why should we let it get to us now!?_

"_I know it's still hard to accept, but the truth is out there. We have to fight back, not by becoming what the perpetrator of this whole war wants, but by remaining what they do not want us to be: civilized and driven. That is what we must be in order to stay sane and win this war in the long term. So I ask you, people of Aurora, to stand alongside us and resist this kind of fate! Together, we will reclaim our country from the Dark Ages, and we will show the world that we are better than this! That this is not what we are, or who we are! Together, we will make a new nation, and carve our place in a new world to ensure that a global Dark Ages does not begin! We will win this war! And we will do so on _our_ terms! Because we are not just Aurora anymore. We are now the light in the world's darkest hours! We will strive to be better, and we will go beyond our limits! We will save the world! We will defend it! Because we are LUMINA!_"

* * *

**Unknown Location**

**02 September, 0000 YDR**

**1500 hours**

The man looked up, his eyes narrowed as he pondered this latest development. His hand dropped the sinful device, its dead owner having given it for his cause. The device, a "smartphone", clattered and its screen broke, but it didn't shut down. At least until his sandaled foot stepped on it, crushing it to pieces.

"Damn them… The heretics have no idea… Thy fools will be struck down by our Lord… and the Chosen One shall die… It is written… in the Prophecy…" he hissed, his fists clenching and unclenching with each sentence fragment.

He turned and wandered back into his cave, passing by the corpse of the man whose "smartphone" he had stolen. His eyes roamed over the simple living arrangements and the pot whose contents boiled eagerly, as if awaiting his approval for eating. The man approached the pot and dipped his finger in, feeling the searing hot water and slowly pulling it out. He licked the water off his fingertip and he smiled.

"Ah… perfect. Now I can dine." He reached for a nearby ladle and dipped it in, pulling out the contents and setting them down on a simple clay platter. He smirked as he touched the tender organ with one finger and licked it. "Yes… a fine meal for a man such as myself…"

This was what he embraced more than anything. A simple philosophy, one he felt that the rest of the world had forgotten. And in this new day and age, it made sense to go back to that simple lifestyle of survival of the fittest. Only the strong could survive, and the weak were merely prey to be hunted and eaten. His victim had been a mere accountant, not a warrior.

They wouldn't miss him, he knew, as he dug into his special treat of human heart…

* * *

**Aaaaand, we're back, my peeps~! :D Sorry. I was busy with work and college, but now I'm back in the swing of things! ;D So don't be afraid to read and review! :)**

**Ja ne~! ;D**


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